IT ALL ADDS UP
by TCNAC1097
Summary: Anastasia Lambert is a recent college graduate, raised by a devoted and hard working single mother she has endeavored to become a much sought after mathematics phenom - will a chance meeting give her life the balance she doesn't even realize she needs? THIS IS A LOVE STORY. AU/DRAMA LITE/ADLT CONTENT CANNON CHARACTERS RE-IMAGINED. HEA for most. Characters based on E.L. James FSOG.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

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"Ana, we are really going to miss you here – you are one of the best employees we have ever had, please accept this as a token of our appreciation." Mr. Steele says handing her an envelope.

"Oh, Mr. Stee…I mean Ray, you have already done so much to help me during my studies, truly this is not necessary…"

"Nonsense…" Ray remarks interrupting what he has come to know as Ana's genuine modesty.

Four years ago it had been his sister Caroline who convinced him to hire the then teenaged college student to work part-time, his past experience had taught him that college students were flighty and unreliable, but he had never been more pleasantly surprised, especially considering the disaster that was his brother's kid Paul, Ana was exceptional. She never once called out for a shift, often taking extra hours when they were shorthanded or when school was on break. Unlike other students who opted for beach trips, Ana used school breaks to pick up extra hours and learn more about the _nuts and bolts_ of the business. She was a quick study who became a valuable team member, assisting with digitizing the store's inventory and cleaning up other processes which made them more efficient. She even helped to develop an accounting program for Steele Hardware and helped him market it for sale to Intuit for a tidy sum – that was why he was handing her a check for two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, with a note imploring her not to insult him by refusing to cash it. He knew that would do the trick because Ana was nothing if not polite, and she would never want to deliberately insult anyone.

"Thank you Ray." Ana finally acquiesced taking the envelope.

Ana had known that Ray was not keen on hiring her to work while she attended WSU – she could only imagine what his previous forays into the world of student part-timers had been like, heck, his own nephew Paul had been such a disappointment, who could blame the man. She worked hard to make herself a valued team member, because not only did she like the work, she really needed the money the part time work provided her.

Unlike her friend and future roommate, Kate Kavanaugh, she did not have unlimited funds as she was raised by a single mother, and though her mother was completely devoted to her and her education, having saved religiously since the day she was born, capable of paying her tuition fees not covered by her numerous scholarships, Ana felt it was her responsibility to contribute by making money to pay for her books and incidentals like gas for her car, school supplies and clothes. She also managed to put away money every year for a rainy day – it _always_ seemed to be raining in Washington.

Ana's father had died the day after she was born – Ana remembered her mother's attempts to hide her sadness when she was little and would ask questions about her daddy – after all, her friends all had daddies. Frank Lambert, though still very young had provided for his wife and daughter, shortly after his death Carla learned that there were four life insurances polices totaling four hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Carla used those monies to purchase a modest home in Vancouver, paying cash, ensuring that Ana would always have a home and would be raised in a middle class neighborhood situated in one of the best school districts in the state. She placed the remaining money in high yield certificates of deposit, and an interest bearing money market account so that in spite of the absence of another household income or child support, Ana would have to want for nothing. In addition to Carla's salary as a legal secretary and subsequent promotion to supervisory legal secretary the monies insured that Ana had access to all of the same advantages as her peers, such as quality daycare early on, modern dance and piano lessons, school trips and mathletes, she was able to buy her a decent car when the time came to get to and from campus as she spent her four year tenure at WSU living with her mom at home. It was much more practical for her to commute to campus, it made no sense for her to pay boarding when they lived just fifteen minutes away.

Ana worried that her mom, who had dedicated her entire life to raising her and making sure she had everything she needed and most of her wants, would be all alone. With her new life in Seattle, Ana would for the first time in her life, live on her own and away from her mom for long periods of time. Carla had prepared for this, Ana, not so much. After her father's passing, Carla had been singularly focused and never even had so much as one date. At first it was because she was heartbroken over Frank's passing, ultimately she never met anyone with whom she felt a connection, in spite of a considerable amount of interest in her. Admittedly she really never put herself out there and she had no regrets – believing whatever is meant to be _would_ be.

Ana decided early on she wanted to be a forensic accountant, there was something about the balance of numbers that called to her, making things add up gave her a real sense of accomplishment. Because of her aptitude for numbers she was heavily recruited by several large firms. Ana had chosen to work for GEH because she had been impressed by the philanthropic reputation of its CEO. She and Kate had briefly fallen out because Ana refused to use her leverage as a highly sought after accounting phenom to secure her an interview of the CEO. Kate was seriously the most spoiled rotten person she had ever encountered, and though they were friends, she had no doubt that Kate felt said friendship entitled her to whatever her heart desired, she was after all _the_ Kate Kavanaugh. That little kerfuffle may have been the raindrop that started the ripple, but Ana held the idea of scorched earth where Kate was concerned in abeyance, for now.

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"To Ana!"

She was jerked from her reverie by the celebration she found herself in the midst of.

Ana blushed from all of the attention.

"Ana, sweetheart. Sorry I'm late." Carla whispered to her rushing in.

Carla had been invited to her daughter's going away luncheon by Caroline, whom she had met a few years back when she and Ana had been grocery shopping. She and Caroline became friends, sometimes attending craft fairs or chick flicks. Caroline was divorced and her son Martin was around the same age as Ana, but attended college out of state.

"Hey Mom!" Ana hugged her mom tightly, thrilled by her surprise attendance at her going away soiree.

"I wouldn't have missed this for the world, a little birdie told me about the party." She stated winking in Caroline's direction.

"Let me introduce you to Ray Mom."

Ana couldn't help but notice that Ray had not stopped staring at her mom – who was beautiful, but very understated, she was much more mom than glam.

"It's nice to finally meet you Mrs. Lambert, Ana and Caroline talk about you so much I feel as though we've already met."

"It's Carla, please. Very nice to meet you as well Mr. Steele, my daughter believes you walk on water."

"Now, if I call you Carla you _must_ call me Ray. Ana is one of the best employees Steele's has ever had. We are sorry to be losing her."

Caroline had been trying to get Ray and Carla together for three years, but that Carla was a tough one to back into a corner, and with her brother working almost every day at the store, it was an exercise in futility, but THIS, this event Carla could not miss and she made sure to lay on the guilt so thick she could scrape it off with a putty knife. Talking her into taking the afternoon off had been easier than she thought, and Carla was happy to oblige – _for Ana of course._

Ray's ex-wife had run off with another soldier while Ray was fighting for his country during the Gulf war and he vowed never to marry again. Over the years he had dated some, but had sworn off settling down, his trust had been destroyed. He threw himself into his work and only really took time out for his other love, carpentry. Ray had built a beautiful home on land he and Caroline inherited – he called it his life's work and was very happy when Caroline and Martin moved in after her divorce.

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Ana pulled into the garage at Grey House, she had been in Seattle for two weeks, she and Kate had settled into their new apartment in the Kiara – a beautifully appointed apartment building in downtown Seattle near her work. Ana never dreamed she could afford to live in a building like this, especially right out of college, but with Kate splitting the bill, she now lived in one of the most secure, gorgeous high rises in the Seattle area. One day she would own her own home, it would be her dream come true.

"Anastasia Lambert, here to see Ms. Fraiser." She stated confidently, much more confident than she felt in fact. Inside she felt as though she was playing dress up in her smart new duds from Ann Taylor accented by her new, gently used Jimmy Choo pumps she purchased on Tradsey.

"Sure Ms. Lambert, here is your temporary ID badge, please take the elevator to the twelfth floor, the receptionist there will direct you further."

"Thank you."

Ana would feel completely unnerved if it were not for the fact that GEH had recruited _her_ , she had been heavily recruited by many employers at the recommendation of her professors and advisors with corporate connections, having a 4.0 GPA, being a CPA and class valedictorian had its benefits.

"Oh, I am _so_ sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going."

Ana said in apology to the impeccably dressed young man she'd practically run over while staring at her temporary ID badge.

"No problem." He responded as they entered the elevator.

"What floor?"

"Twelve please, I'm headed to HR, my first day." She beamed.

Ana could slap herself for the overshare. She was caught off guard by the gorgeous man in front of her, generally this is the type of guy who fawned all over Kate and failed to even notice her.

" _Oh_? What department?"

"I will be reporting to Mr. Roach the accounting director."

"I see, Roach is a good man."

"That's good to know, I only met with him briefly during my panel review a month or so ago."

Before long the smooth elevator ride came to an end, and she had to leave her hunky co-worker behind, she noticed he had punched the button for the twentieth floor, figuring their paths would rarely cross.

"Well, have a good first day, Ms….?"

"Oh, Lambert, Anastasia Lambert. Thank you, you have a good day as well." Ana said stepping from the elevator, glancing back to smile at her own McDreamy as the doors closed.

Good lord, I hope everyone here is that nice she thought as she approached reception.

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"Alex, I need you to get me a background check on a new employee, dig deep."

"Yes sir."

"Her name is Anastasia Lambert."

"Yes sir."

Alex Welch is worth his weight in gold. Christian knew he would leave no stone unturned. He had resisted the urge all morning to request the background check, in all honesty he had no idea why he felt compelled to do so, but he had not been able to stop thinking about her, maybe it was the fact that she clearly had no idea who he was. He was intrigued.

 **Anastasia Rose Lambert**

 **DOB: September 10, 1997**

 **Current Address:** **111 Terry Ave N, Seattle, WA, Unit 702**

 **Former Address: 46191 NE 95** **th** **Street Vancouver, WA**

 **Mother: Carla Mae Wilkes-Lambert (8/3/77)**

 **Father: Franklin Desmond Lambert (2/11/76 – 9/11/1997)**

 **Education: BS Accounting/Forensic Accounting/CPA**

 **Washington State University**

 **Class Ranking: 1 GPA 4.35 (Statistical) Class Valedictorian**

 **Banking info: Bank of America, Vancouver**

 **Savings Account Balance: $189,000**

 **Checking Account Balance: $22,349**

 **Previous employment: Steele's Hardware, Vancouver, WA (8/20/2014 – 5/30/2018)**

 **Employment: GEH, Assistant Accounting Director, Salary $175,000**

 **Registered Vehicles: 2013 Honda Accord (MGS 219 Washington State Tag) Silver.**

 **Relationships: None found**

Christian pored over her recruitment information and found that Anastasia had been heavily recruited, they were lucky to have hired her considering some of the heavy hitters that wanted to snag her – think tanks and the like. Turns out she managed to graduate with a minor in forensic accounting while maintaining a 4.0, while studying to become a CPA an exam for which she sat and passed one week after her college graduation. She did all of this while working part-time at a hardware store.

What is even more amazing, is that she with the help of a few of her fellow college nerds developed accounting software for the hardware store where she worked, and received college credits for that as well. The owner of the store eventually sold an updated version to Intuit, and basically forced Ms. Lambert to take a portion of the profit, he actually did it for her, that's how she came to have just under two hundred thousand dollars in her bank account, to date she only spent a portion to buy her mother a new Mercedes SUV, and a few thousand for a rent deposit and new clothing for her job here.

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…..

"Fuck! Yeah just like that, hold still."

"Oh Christian, oh my God."

Suzanne screamed as she came, she had no idea she was in for such a workout tonight – if possible his dick seemed somehow bigger tonight.

"Fuuuuuck!" Christian roared as he came.

He quickly withdrew from Suzanne and rolled onto his back trying to catch his breath. He had never been so hard in all of his life, he had never come so hard either. As soon as he caught his breath the guilt washed over him. He cuddled with Suzanne who had started to doze – but understood what had just happened could not happen again. He could not be _that_ guy.

He was not even sure what happened or why. Instead of his very hot, very flexible girlfriend, it was thoughts of the sweet young thing with whom he had shared an elevator that got his mojo working in overdrive that evening.

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...

"Frustrating business concerns?"

"What?" Christian responded, pulled from a disturbing article about a local publishing house editor who had been jailed after ten of his former assistants came forward with accusations of drugging and rape.

"Last night…you seemed to have a lot on your mind." She purred, tracing her finger on his thigh.

"Is that your way of telling me you enjoyed last night Suzanne?" He said, mildly annoyed by her attempts at seduction, focusing once again on the article. He really wasn't in the mood for post coital performance review. Besides, Mrs. Jones was tidying up from serving their omelets, so right now was hardly an opportune time to discuss his sexual prowess.

"Whatever Christian…" She snapped, moving her hand from his thigh.

"Mercurial much?" She continued, standing to leave.

"What has gotten into you?"

"What has gotten into me is I want a real relationship Christian, I want to talk, I want to know where this is going…"

"Here we go…" It always came down to this. He turned his attention to her now standing frame – irritated that he was now in this place yet _again_ , with yet _another_ woman. Nine months, a new record. He had hoped that someone with Suzanne's sensibilities would have been less emotional, she was an attorney for fuck's sake but alas, he had been wrong.

"What is it that you want from me Suzanne?"

"I want to know you Christian. I want you to talk to me…other than when you're fucking me. The rest of the time I might as well be a fucking statue."

"That language is very unbecoming…" He said dismissively, he knew this was classic avoidance and scapegoating – make it about _her_ behavior, not his – a shitty thing to do to her, but he lacked the energy to handle this emotional display so early in the morning, and before his breakfast had the time to digest even. Deep down he knew that while he liked Suzanne, she like other women he had dated over the last eight years or so were little more than bed warmers and a release for his libido. He was a real bastard and he knew it.

"Yeah? Well fuck you Christian! How's that?"

"I thought fucking me was what you wanted to talk about." He responded with an impassive gaze that exuded an artic coolness. Suzanne knew just as he did that they were over.

With a huff she turned and walked to the elevator and out of his life.

"Would you like another cup of coffee Mr. Grey?"

"Yes, thank you Mrs. Jones."

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"Tell Ethan, thanks but no thanks."  
"I figured that would be your response, but he did ask me to try. Are you sure you don't want to try again with him?"

"Very." Was Ana's only response.

During her first semester at WSU, she had met Ethan, after Kate insisted she attend a party at her parent's home.

Ana and Ethan had hit it off and went out on a few dates. By the fourth date he had begun to pressure her for sex and she ended it before it got started. She later found out he was seeing someone else the entire time unbeknownst to his sister, and while it stung a bit that she had allowed him to kiss her and feel her up – she was thrilled that she never had sex with him.

Her first time however, had been equally disastrous.

Jose.

Jose was a _friend_ , who after the first year at WSU had gotten tipsy with Ana one night while she was visiting Kate and they had had sex. Kate had gone to her room and passed out, leaving them alone in her living room, so she never told her it happened, somehow she felt that was best. The experience was painful and quick – and it took another year for Jose to finally get the message that there was no second chance forthcoming. She tried being his friend, but he wanted more and she wasn't ready for the complexities a relationship would bring, that and Jose was entirely too intense, too focused on her and she had goals.

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"So, how was your first day at GEH, you think you'll like it there?"

"So far so good, I have been tossed right into the fray. I am directing the departmental audits which will begin this week – I will be working with department heads to determine their needs."

"Have you met boy gorgeous yet?" Kate asks nonchalantly.

"No Kate, I have actually been busy doing my job, they don't pay me to fawn over the CEO."

"And pay you they do! I am so jealous – the kind of money you're being paid is unheard of for someone right out of college."

"You do alright do you not?" I say raising an eyebrow at her. Kate, while working an entry level position at Kavanaugh Media, is technically one of its owners - a multi- _billion_ dollar conglomerate. She could most certainly afford to live here on her own, considering her father pays the majority of the rent and all of Kate's share of the utilities, only because I insisted on paying part of the security deposit and _something_ for rent, no one lives anywhere for free. Kate pays nothing out of her salary and receives a monthly allowance of fifteen thousand dollars from her parents, that Ana has heard her refer to more than once as chump change, in addition to her fifty five thousand dollar per year salary. Her graduation present was a brand new Mercedes E class coupe and her parents provide her with a gas card. She spends all of her money on partying, clothes and booze, not necessarily in that order.

I never talk about money with Kate, she only knows about my salary because she snooped and saw my offer email – I would never, ever tell her about the money from Mr. Steele or all of the money I saved while working there, living at home meant I had very little in the way of expenses so I lived on a very tight budget. One of the main reasons we became roommates – is her father wanted her to live with me, he feels I somehow am a good influence on his daughter. I am no one's babysitter though, she will have to find her own way. If what I have seen this past two weeks is any indication, I may have to modify my _Ana buys a townhouse_ timeline.

With my paying only about fifteen hundred dollars a month for my rent and utilities – I will be able to save a decent amount of money. I have factored in monies for food and clothing, I will need to continue to update my wardrobe, but I will do it slowly, buying a few pieces a month until I have a classic business wardrobe befitting someone in my position. I have a five year plan, and I plan on working the hell out of it – I see myself in that townhouse with an almost forty percent down payment.

One of my first big expenditures will be next summer, when I plan to take my mom on a European vacation, something she has always wanted to do, I want her to have the time of her life, she deserves it so much for all of the sacrifices she's made to make all of my dreams come true.

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" _Christian, look – I may have overreacted this morning. I just wanted you to know that (sigh) I have developed strong feelings for you and it's hard knowing you're not there too. I never meant to pressure you. Call me."_

He had been dreading listening to her message, knowing he would have to deal once again with dreaded closure.

Christian knew he would call her, though she would not be pleased once he did. It was clear that he needed to stop wasting her time, as it was now obvious she wanted much more from the relationship, than he was willing to give her. He was nothing if not generous, he did wining, dining, lavish gifts including designer clothes, jewelry and in one case a new car, he just did not do _more_.

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"Taylor, I am staying inside today, I will head down to the café and grab a sandwich."

"Do you want me to accompany you Sir?"

"No, not necessary, besides, it's after two – the lunch crowd will have long since dissipated. And who are we kidding, the place is wired for sound and video, you can monitor me." He smirked.

He travelled to the fifth floor, there was an atrium there where he liked to sit in the corner that was somewhat obscured where he could not be seen by passersby.

"I will have a curry chicken salad in a spinach wrap and dill pickle spear, and whatever infused water you have today."

"Today is pineapple."

"Very well, thanks."

"Are you dining in today?"

"Yes."

"Your GEH card please."

Christian handed his card over and the cashier slid it through the card reader while he placed a ten dollar bill in the tip jar.

The GEH café uses a no cash, no credit system – employees use their ID cards to scan for meals and drinks and are billed at the end of the month, they can opt to be billed or have the amount payroll deducted. Employees love the café which offers convenience and good, healthy meal choices at a price subsidized by GEH.

Christian heads to his favorite spot, away from the main seating area and as soon as he reaches it is stopped in his tracks.

"Hi!"

"Hi there yourself newcomer – it seems you have discovered my hideaway."

"Is there a reason you need to hide, that sounds awfully mischievous."

Christian roars with laughter, he found her beguiling…in a good way.

"No Ms. Lambert, I just like this little nook because it offers time to enjoy quiet without being noticed, people here seem to talk shop all the time. Why are _you_ tucked away over here?"

"Well, I was so busy, I almost forgot about lunch really – I looked up and realized it was almost two and decided to find a place to actually eat the lunch I prepared. They were kind enough to allow me to use one of the microwaves to heat up my pasta. From this vantage point I can see the atrium and still see what's going on around me. Why are you having such a late lunch…um…?"

"Chris."

"Chris." Ana repeats, wondering why the hell she's smiling. "Would you like to join me?"

"Sure." He says taking a seat.

"So, it has been a few days now, how do you feel about the company and your new job?"

"I know I sound like a neophyte, but being here is incredible, I feel as if I made an excellent choice in GEH."

"Choice? What do you mean?" He asked pretending no to know, curious to know why she chose GEH.

"Well I was recruited by a few companies out of college and I chose GEH largely because of the CEO's philosophy on philanthropic work, here and all over the world. I mean I know the company is a for profit entity, but the money they invest in simply feeding people - I, I just wanted to somehow be a part of that."

"I think that's the first time I've ever heard anyone say that about working at GEH."

"Really? That's too bad, how long have _you_ worked here?"

"I've been around for a while now." He remarks effectively brushing off the question.

"So what about your experience with your counterparts, how are you finding that?"

"Boy, you ask very pointed questions Chris. Well, I find most to be dedicated professionals with a true mission towards excellence. It is pretty clear Mr. Grey and his team demand as much. There are some areas where fresh eyes are needed – sometimes when it comes to dealing with numbers people can become stagnant in their methodology, especially when things add up – but there is more to accounting than black and red, there are ways to streamline processes and save money while maximizing resources…"

Ana stopped talking feeling as though she was boring her new friend.

"I have gotten carried away, sorry you are not even eating your wrap."

"No, not at all, I am genuinely interested in hearing what you have to say."

"Well, at any rate it has only been a few days and I love what I have seeing so far."

"How do _you_ like working at GEH?"

"I love it, I cannot imagine being anywhere else."

" _Very_ encouraging. Are you from the area?" They sure didn't grow them like this in Vancouver she thought.

"Yes, Bellevue, what about you?"

"Well I live here now, but I grew up and went to college in Vancouver, my mom still lives there."

"So, it's just the two of you?"

"Yes, the two Muskateers. My father was killed in a car accident when I was a baby and my mom never remarried." For the life of her Ana couldn't understand what it was about him that made her spill her guts every time she saw him.

"Does your family still live in Bellevue?" She asked desperate to stop talking about herself.

"Yes, my mother and father are still there in the house I grew up in, along with my little sister, who should be moving to the city soon. My older brother owns his own construction company."

"I kinda wished I had a brother or sister – it would have been nice to grow up with a built in best friend." She says smiling.

"Funny you should say that, my brother and sister _are_ my two closest friends. No matter how much I achieve, I am just Chris to them – it keeps me grounded."

Where the _fuck_ did that come from. He had never divulged that kind of personal information, to anyone. Her corresponding smile made it worth every syllable though.

"Welp, I have to get going – I cannot have my boss or the big boss thinking I'm some sort of slacker now can I?" She says adding a giggle that nearly stops his heart.

"Ms. Lambert, we certainly cannot have them thinking that."

"Ana, please."

"Ana."

"Later Chris."

"Laters."

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….

His conversation with Suzanne had been the most excruciating closure discussion he'd had thus far. He really liked Suzanne, but he saw no future with her, he had not bothered to spend energy really getting to know her. He felt bad, only because she felt hurt, but not because he would miss her – there was nothing that distinguished her from past girlfriends, perhaps there was nothing that distinguished him – he had never tried for more.

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"Hello Mr. Grey, this is a surprise."

Don't worry dude, you're doing a great job, I need to pick your brain.

"I understand you are currently in the midst of an audit, anything I should be made aware of?"

"Well, no. Ms. Lambert is highly competent and poised. Everything is running like clockwork."

That's _my_ girl. Where the hell did that thought come from!?

"I would like to have the findings of the audit presented at the department heads meeting on Wednesday, I understand that the audit will be complete by then, yes?"

"You are correct sir, if not before, Ms. Lambert has been powering through the analysis at a rate that will make that target date feasible."

"Excellent, I would like for Ms. Lambert to present the findings."

"Yes sir." Roach responds after a beat.

"Thank you." He disconnects the call.

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….

"Ana, you promised we would go out this weekend and shake our freshly college minted asses." Kate whined in an exasperated tone.

"Well, that was before I was informed that I would be presenting the findings of the departmental audit at the department heads meeting next Wednesday, so I am going to be working over the weekend."

"How are things going at work?"

"You mean do I know how to make a latte or research sources? Yeah I know how to do that." She states rolling her eyes.

"You have to show them what you're made of Kate, you have to use this time as an assistant to make a name for yourself, you have to prove your value by showing them how capable you are, I know you can do it. You were the first freshman editor of the WSU Standard…ever. You got this!" Ana says hoping to encourage her friend, Kate has a tendency to expect things to come easy to her, the truth of the matter is that everyone knew she was Eamon Kavanaugh's daughter and felt she would be a natural when the former editor graduated, though she did an excellent job, it was not exactly a merit based appointment – she basically slid into home plate on name recognition alone.

"You're right, I have to step up my game, I need to relax, it has only been a couple of days after all."

"Exactly." Though if she had bothered to intern at Kavanaugh Media instead of jetting off to the Caribbean or whatever jaunt she deemed more important than preparing for her career she might have a handle on this right now, truth is I could care less that Kate chose to party and not prepare, no judgment there, I have a problem with her whining about getting coffee and doing research when it's literally all she has prepared herself for professionally.

"It's going to take years for me to make my mark, but whatever. That smells great, what are you cooking for dinner?" … _aaaand_ we're back, attention span of a toddler.

"Just spaghetti."

"Oh yum, smells _soooo_ good – yell when it's done, I need to call Stacie, she promised to get me front row for Dolce and Gabbana during fashion week."

"Sure thing." Yep. Deep as a puddle.

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….

Christian watched as Ana pulled into a parking space near the garage exit in a well-lit area near the security booth. _Good girl_. He hurried down to reception which is manned by security officers on the weekends. Just as he fake signs in getting a raised eyebrow from Joe the weekend daytime watch guy, he hears the ding of the elevator.

He turns to find a surprised Ana heading towards the desk to sign in.

"Chris? Hey!"

"Hey Ana."

"What are you doing here on a Saturday?"

"I have some work I want to get on top of, what about you?" What I'd like to get on top of is you little lady. Stop it Grey, you do _not_ shit where you eat!

"Well, I have a report to present at the heads of department meeting on Wednesday, I'm a bit nervous, so I just need to get my bearings – I want our department to come across as professional, competent and dedicated. And there I go again."

"No, really you are fine. From what you told me over lunch the other day – you have confidence in your team yes?"

"I do."

"Trust your instincts, you will do well. Grey can be intimidating – but he doesn't bite." Not unless you want me to baby.

"You've met him?!" She asks incredulously.

"Yes."

"Well, what did you think? I mean the women in our department are all in love with him while the men seem terrified of him." She remarks with a giggle that warms my non-existent heart.

"He _is_ direct – no nonsense I appreciate that in an ogre."

"A man who does so much for poor people is no ogre, he strikes me as a very caring person."

He willed himself to stop looking at her lips.

"Sounds like you did your research, what exactly did you read?"

"Well, I'm sure you know about GEH's farming initiatives – he is a doer and not a talker – I read extensively about his infusing resources into the farming communities in northern California during recent droughts, including personnel, equipment and education on sustainable technologies. That takes dedication, thoughtful research and a level of care not to just throw money at a thing… _annnd_ I'm doing it again."

"No, no you will find that I appreciate people who are both well-read and passionate." He noticed her slight blush at the compliment, a gorgeous hint of pink. _Beautiful modesty_.

"Well I'm going to head upstairs and get started – I will only be here a few hours today and tomorrow."

"Would you like to meet in the atrium for lunch? Around one?"

"Sure, I brought a sandwich. I will see you then."

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….

Christian had lunch with Ana both Saturday and Sunday, he had never met anyone like her.

He spent both days listening to her talk about everything from synergy in numerical systems to finding bargains utilizing online thrift stores. She was so open, wise and fearless, Ana was authentically Ana and he was in awe of her. It struck a bit of fear within him, this thing that caused him to be drawn to her –he worried that come Wednesday she could very well be angered by his omission. He shrugged off the notion of angering her after all the loss of friends is just sometimes the cost of doing business, at least that's what he told himself.

..

…

….

"Ana, did you camp out here over the weekend?" Roach remarked staring at the preliminary document Ana handed him.

"I know it seems voluminous at first glance, but honestly the matrix I used did all of the work for us – the input took hours, not days, I honestly only spent a few hours here each day. The truth of the matter is that the input I received from the various departments was concise, making the final analysis less taxing – no pun intended."

"Well, Grey will be pleased by this for sure – have you begun work on your presentation?"

"I have, I should have a draft for you to peruse before I leave today, that will give us all of tomorrow and Wednesday morning for necessary tweaks."

"Good deal, and if this report is any indication, you will do just fine. Grey appreciates hard work and professionalism – so no worries."

..

…

….

Ana had chosen a gray pencil skirt with a lavender cashmere twinset and black pumps, Ana wanted to be stylishly corporate, but taken seriously – not looking as though she is playing dress up.

For the first time since arriving at GEH, Ana had travelled to the twentieth floor and was ushered, along with her assistant Hannah to the executive conference room, where they loaded her presentation and placed the corresponding documentation at each seat for the attendees.

Ana ignored her sweaty palms, hell, she has been introduced to everyone who would be in attendance at this morning's meeting – everyone that is with the exception of the elusive Mr. Grey. To her chagrin, she was well versed in his philosophy, his philanthropy, his history with GEH, but absolutely nothing about the man himself – in the time since her interview she never even Googled _him_ personally – every search she conducted was about him in association with GEH. None of it really mattered she thought – in all likelihood she would see him from a distance at best two to three times a year.

At about five minutes before the start of the meeting the department heads file in, she had heard Mr. Grey abhorred tardiness. She chatted with Mr. Roach and the other attendees, including Ms. Bailey, when she noticed a quiet unease amongst the attendees, an involuntary straightening up of sorts, without even turning to look in that direction she understood that the man himself had just stepped into the conference room at eleven sharp.

Ana steeled herself and turned to greet her boss's, bosses' boss.

 _What tha…_

 **A/N: Please let me know your thoughts.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"Thank you Ray, I had a great time tonight." Carla smiled bashfully. She had no idea how to do this – she had not had a date in decades, the idea of dating or having a life dedicated to her wants and needs had been the farthest thing from her mind. Her initial _thought_ when Ray called to ask her out was to politely decline the offer, but her instincts told her she would be missing out on something special, so she decided to give him a chance. Ray Steele was a very attractive man, she was a mom yes, but she was _far_ from blind.

"Carla, I would like to see you again. I hope I'm not being too forward – you did say you had a _great_ time." He couldn't stop himself from smiling at her, hoping she didn't pick up on his nervousness. God, she was _beautiful_ – he was smiling like a fool to resist the urge to say something fucking stupid.

"I would like that Ray, very much." His smile was so distracting, but then again everything about this man was. He was handsome, tall, fit, well read and interesting all while being down to earth and devoid of pretentiousness. Carla was glad she had said yes to the date.

"Great, I will give you a call tomorrow, okay?"

"I look forward to it."

"Goodnight." He exhaled as he leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. Ray knew he had to take things slow with Carla, the type of woman who could single handedly raise a daughter like Ana was formidable and much more than a pretty face, Carla was a woman of substance. He would have to bring his A game if he wanted to be with a woman like her. He didn't want to scare her away, but Carla Lambert was his future, he was sure of it. Ray felt like dancing to his truck, his ass barely touched the seat before he called his sister to ask what type of flowers Carla might like.

..

…

….

What the entire _FUCK_! Ana screamed in her head, what has this man been playing at? He must think she is the biggest idiot on the planet – Chris, _her_ Chris is Christian Grey.

Ana sat quietly avoiding his gaze during the portion of the meeting led by Ms. Bailey, waiting for her turn to present the audit findings, the sooner she got this over with the sooner she could get the hell out of this conference room and away from this _asshole_. She offered up a silent prayer that her unnerving would not be noticed by others in the room, especially 'Chris' she would not give him the satisfaction. _Jerk_.

Christian discreetly observed Ana, she gave nothing away – he was impressed by her impassive response to the day's revelations. Sure enough he could have warned her, but how much fun would that have been, this was far more interesting. He had expected a reaction of some sort, but Ms. Lambert wouldn't give a jackass like him the satisfaction. He was in awe of her composure.

As she stood to present the findings of the audit he noticed a flit in her armor, albeit a slight one – one that would go unnoticed by everyone in the room, everyone that is except for her friend Chris. She looks so beautiful today he thought admirably, buttoned down but relaxed, corporate but not stuffy – she is perfection. Her body is _fucking sick_ as Elliot would say and because of thoughts like this he found himself having to actually think of Elliot to abate the massive hard-on that was tightening his trousers, he had never been unable to control his body's reaction to a woman – this woman could _own_ his body and oddly the thought while troubling, gave him a sense of peace.

"…Are there any questions?"

"Yes, I am curious to know if you modified the legacy system to enhance the matrix or were you relying completely on the systems in place for the results for your analysis."

"Actually, I did both – and while I found both the legacy system and modified data tools for the matrix produced near identical results, the legacy system did not have a statistical logarithm built in, should the need arise to track and mark data based on market trends."

"I see, thank you very much Ms. Lambert." Christian knew that Ana was annoyed at his asking this question, because she had left that seemingly innocuous tidbit out of the presentation despite his strong suggestion that she include it. Ana did not want to 'spike the ball' as she called it, but what she failed to realize is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking credit for one's own initiative and ingenuity – and he would not have anyone taking credit for her hard work. _Fuck that!_

"You're welcome Sir." _Take that_ , Ana thought.

Ana sat quietly and absorbed as much information about the departments, their functions and current projects as she could, but inside she was fuming – yeah sure he had mentioned that she should mention the work she did to make the legacy system more efficient, but there was no need to spike the ball.

"Ms. Lambert, would you stay behind for just a moment please?" Christian asked as soon as the department heads began leaving the conference room.

"Certainly." Ana nodded, hoping she was able to hide her annoyance at being singled out while taking the seat that had been vacated by Ms. Bailey, who if she was being honest seemed taken aback by the request.

..

…

"So, what were your first impressions of the CEO?"

"I really didn't have an opportunity to evaluate him, I was too busy feeling like a gullible and chastised child." Christian had to resist an overwhelming urge to grab her and kiss her breathless. She was a fiery little minx, she had never been more sexy.

"Oh, Ana I was not chastising you."

"Ms. Lambert." She snapped, avoiding his eyes. _Asshole_.

Now she just wants a spanking, he thought, amused by her defiance.

"Very well, _Ms. Lambert_. I know you left that information out of your presentation because you did not want to show up your boss or 'spike the ball' as you described it, but you should never hide your accomplishments. You were born to stand out – and that was why you were recruited. Never feel you need to dim your light in order to fit in, you are exceptional in every way."

Ana could not help the blush that crept across her cheeks. _Damn it to hell_.

"Mr. Grey…I…"

"Chris."

"Oh my god, I can't call you _Chris_ , you are my boss, and I should have known that! I feel like _such_ a fool." She stated mortified.

"Ms. Lambert, you did nothing wrong, and I am very sorry for misleading you." Christian paused to give her a moment to grasp the sincerity of his apology before continuing. While he did not want to overwhelm her, he also did not want her to bolt from the room, but a pause was in order.

"You have _no_ idea how refreshing it has been to spend time with someone, without pretext and fear. When I realized you genuinely did not know who I was, I was amused at first, and then relieved. The only reason I let it go on that long was because I wanted to avoid having my new friend treat me like everyone else around here does, for as long as it was possible."

At this she tears up, feeling frustrated and angry at his deception – but also sad because of how lonely it must be to live a life where people are kept at arm's length more often than not as a matter of necessity.

"Ana, I didn't mean to make you cry." He said pulling a handkerchief from his breast pocket.

"I was so stressed out about everything having to do with this job and that presentation, and I looked forward to our talks, you have been such a calming presence for me. I feel like I have lost a good friend because you weren't honest with me. There I was prattling on and on about mundane things like online shopping, why would you do that to me?" Ana asks wiping her eyes.

Christian takes a deep breath.

"I felt like I would have never had the chance to be your friend had I told you who I was right off the bat. Spending time with you has been so… _normal_ , it was nice to be just Chris with someone other than my family for a change. It was always my intention to tell you, again, I am sorry about that – but I won't apologize for pushing you today – you must _always_ take credit for your work."

"I can understand why you didn't tell me, _to a degree_ – but now everything is so different, I…"

"It doesn't have to be." Christian interrupted, taking hold of her hand.

"Oh come on! You're Christian Grey and I'm just…"

"Amazing! You're amazing Ana, I mean Ms. Lambert." He interrupted.

That earned him a belly laugh that melted away his fear as well as his resolve. Without forethought he leaned forward and softly kissed her lips. Ana responded, and they shared a tender kiss that lasted a few precious moments before Andrea's voice interrupted them via intercom, reminding him of his upcoming lunch meeting.

"Have dinner with me? Tonight?" He pleaded, after they broke their kiss.

"Yes." Was all Ana could manage, her thoughts racing.

"I will pick you up at seven thirty. Don't worry, I won't keep you out late on a school night." He said with a wink as he stood.

"Thank you. I'll see you then." Christian stood and they left the conference room.

..

…

….

"Ana, what are you cooking tonight?" Kate yelled from the living room.

Ana decided to answer her question by walking into the room dressed for her dinner date.

"I have plans tonight, sorry, but you are on your own for dinner tonight."

"You look great, is this a work thing?"

"No, I'm having dinner with a friend I met at work."

"Well you look fabulous."

"Thank you." Ana was wearing a brown tie-waist sleeveless sheath dress by New York and Co., that she paired with black and brown animal print Louboutin pumps to jazz it up a bit, with a plain brown clutch purse.

At that moment the intercom buzzed and Ana buzzed Chris up to their apartment.

"So where is he taking you?"

"You know, I'm not even sure. But I figured this outfit would pretty much work anywhere."

"Not if he takes you to Pizza Hut." Kate snipped.

 _Bitch._

"Well I guess we will see." Ana responded with a shrug, just as the doorbell rang.

"No, you wait there, I'll get it Ana – I know this is your first date in a long time, but you don't want to appear too thirsty." Great, she was getting dating advice from the girl who bragged often about her conquests, and yeah, her one night stands.

"Oh, _perish_ the thought." Ana said with an eye roll Miss Kavanaugh missed, _you asked for it Kate._

In an instant he was standing in front of her, his presence, his scent filling the space around her. Kate's presence all but shrank from existence as he stepped past her, handing Ana a bouquet of pink roses and placing a kiss on her cheek.

"You look lovely tonight Ana."

"Thank you." She stated holding his gaze for a beat.

"The flowers are beautiful, thank you, _oh_ , this is my roommate Kate Kavanaugh. Pardon me just a moment while I put these in water then we can leave."

"Ms. Kavanaugh." Christian nods and greets her, cordially.

"So, do you take all of your employees out on dates?" Kate queried snidely.

"No." Was his impassive and curt response, as he turned his attention to Ana bending over grabbing a vase from under the kitchen counter.

"Well, Ana doesn't date very much, though we know the same _cannot_ be said for you – you are all over the gossip rags…"

"I really don't have any idea about musings in print all ending in question marks from people who are on the outside peering into my life with envy. My friends and family know who I am. But I do agree that one's reputation says a lot about who they are." He interrupts shooting her a pointed glare, making it clear he knows just who she is and that what he has heard is NOT good.

"Chris, you ready?" Ana interrupts this uncomfortable standoff at the _Chick Apartment Corral_.

Christian nods, and places his hand on the small of her back, ushering her towards the door.

"See you later Kate."

"Okay." Kate mumbles, likely still in shock that her date is the one and only Christian Grey. Ana rolled her eyes to the sky knowing there was zero chance Kate won't be waiting up when she gets home.

..

…

….

"This restaurant is beautiful Chris, thank you for bringing me here." Canlis is very opulent. Ana had no expectations and felt mildly intimidated by her surroundings, not to mention her date – she had never been in the presence of someone who commanded such attention just by entering a room.

"You're very welcome, I wanted you to enjoy one of my favorite places with me. Will you allow me to order for you?"

"Yes of course." Ana released a breath she didn't know she was holding, she could relax, having had the choices on the expansive menu decided for her.

"My roommate…"

"The tenacious Ms. Kavanaugh." He interrupts.

"She has been trying to get an interview with you, it was her biggest disappointment from her time at WSU that it did not happen." Ana says with a sigh.

"Well, Ms. Kavanaugh, should get used to a world of disappointment if she believes she can flash her cleavage, drop her father's name and get whatever she wants. That is not how the world works, its best she learns that now." His jaw involuntarily tightens, remembering how she made calls to a number of his associates trying to gather dirt on him after she had been shut down by his PR department. _Entitled shrew_.

"Kate, believe it or not has been a friend in spite of being a spoiled brat. We have been friends since freshman year – she means well I believe, and I think she's learning that very lesson. She has never known any kind of adversity or struggle and it shows." Ana says with a smile.

"You two seem to have little in common." Christian pressed, curious to understand how someone like Ana could befriend someone like Ms. Kavanaugh.

"I would agree with that to a degree, because what we do have in common is that we're both young women with solid goals, and in spite of being given many advantages, she worked hard and did well at WSU, she was actually my closest competitor for valedictorian numerically." Ana didn't know why she felt the need to defend her friendship with Kate, but based on her annoyance with Ana over not using her new position to get her an 'in' with Christian, and his reaction to her, she can only imagine what lengths she went to, to get that interview. The last thing Ana wanted was for Christian to hate her roommate and friend, she would never fuel that, because in spite of her flaws, she considered Kate a friend.

Christian knew one thing was clear based on Ana's description of her roommate and it was that she knew very little about her roommate and her family. He decided to hold off on telling her what he knew, he did not want to be the grown man who trashed her sweet little friend.

"I see. So…" He starts.

"I want you to know that I am interested in you romantically, in case that wasn't clear earlier today."

Ana swallowed hard.

"I noticed there was no rule in terms of fraternization in the employee handbook. How many other…"

"None." He emphatically interrupted.

"Believe me, I warred with my attraction to you – but to be honest I could not stop thinking about you, and that has never happened to me before."

"I understand what you mean." She stated nonchalantly, but it was anything but. She literally could not get him off of her mind, BOB was getting a real workout these days.

"I want you to understand…" He stated taking her hand. "while I _have_ been the 'king of the fling' I'm interested in getting to know you and in spending time with you. I admit it is something I have not done before."

"What does that mean exactly, that you only had one night stands or did you have one night stands that that were conveniently long term?"

Christian could not help himself – and he laughed out loud at her astute summation of his dating life. This made her smile as well.

"I never thought of it like that, but you're right. Logically, my serial monogamy was little more than a series of long standing, one night stands."

"Why?"

"You know, I don't have an answer for that. I never wanted to lead a woman on, I was clear that I was not interested in becoming serious, I used my business as an excuse not to get close – but in truth, I had never been interested in deepening the relationships. I found my girlfriends very attractive, but there was something, always that prevented me from taking the next step."

"So you're a player then." It was more of a statement than a question as she wanted to appear unaffected but she was anything but.

"No. I never dated more than one woman at a time or strung them along when I realized that their feelings were developing in a way I could not reciprocate. I'm not a bad guy. When we met I was dating someone I had grown quite fond of, but when I found myself thinking of you while spending time with her, I knew it was time to end it – that had never happened to me before."

Ana was floored by his admission, but resisted the urge to ask him in what context he thought of her while with another woman, he didn't volunteer that information and she doubted seriously she wanted to know.

"What about you? I'm sure there are a string of broken hearts in your wake." Christian asked curiously, he had found it strange that there was no relationship information present in the background check.

"Well, I had a date to senior prom, but we literally only went out that one time. My time in high school was jammed packed with activities, I had little time for dating and socializing. During my freshman year at WSU I had a few dates with Kate's brother, but he was more interested in a physical relationship and it turns out that unbeknownst to both Kate and myself he had a steady girlfriend already." Ana noticed Chris' jaw clench as she recounted her short lived interest in Ethan Kavanaugh.

"I had a _friend_ in college, who wanted to be more than friends. After one tipsy encounter – I knew that my feelings for him did not match his and I ended it after that and although it took some time he finally understood where I was coming from. The other thing that came from that encounter is that I rarely drink the hard stuff – my tolerance for alcohol is low and I realized I was capable of making poor decisions as a result."

"Drunken night or not, I feel jealous." Christian frowned, praying he didn't say that out loud but judging from her blush he knew he had indeed spoken his feelings.

"I didn't mean to embarrass you, I don't do this, but the thought of some horny frat boy touching you made me see red."

Ana could not stop the giggle that escaped her, at which Christian feigned indignation.

"Are you laughing at me Ms. Lambert?"

"Oh no, not at all, it's just that he was much less frat boy and more pocket protector boy than anything. "He is honestly a very nice young man, I just didn't feel what he did –surely _you_ can relate, yes?"

"Point well made Ms. Lambert."

..

…

Hours later Ana noticed she and Christian were the only people left in the restaurant, having finished a delectable meal and engaged in conversation that varied from summer camp to agrarian communities.

"Chris, I can't believe it's after eleven. I think these poor people want to go home."

"Probably, but I'm enjoying our conversation. I hate for this evening to end. Would you like to go out again on Friday evening?"

"I would, I've had a great time tonight."

"Great, let me get you home, I've heard your boss's bosses' boss hates tardiness." He says with a wink.

..

…

….

After a long, lingering kiss goodnight, Ana was walking on air as she entered her apartment. Her bubble was burst however, the moment she saw Kate sitting on the sofa wearing a stoned faced scowl.

"You're still up." _Anastasia Lambert starring in Captain Obvious_ , she thought to herself.

"Way to leave out the details Lambert! Is there a reason you would keep a detail like going out on a date with Christian _FUCKING_ Grey a secret?"

"Well, I knew that the revelation was going to provoke a negative response, and I preferred to deal with it _after_ I spent a wonderful evening with Chris."

"Oh, its Chris is it?"

"Why wouldn't you tell me you knew him?"

"Well, before today I didn't know that I did. I did however, tell you about meeting a new friend and spending time chatting with him, I even mentioned how he gave me input for my presentation, I just had no idea he was not just another GEH employee until he walked into the conference room before my presentation today."

Kate is standing there with her mouth open.

"So wait! He told you his name was Chris and spent time chatting you up – and never told you he was your boss?!"

"Pretty much. He was surprised I had no idea who he was."

"He is such an operator! What a _dick_!"

 _Wait, what!?_

Ana remained impassive as ever, but inside she was fuming. Kate doesn't even know Chris, how dare she pretend to know or understand his motives.

"Is the name calling really necessary Kate?"

"Oh no! _Tell_ me you don't actually _like_ him."

"Fine, I won't tell you." She responds deadpan.

"Well it's your funeral, that man has seen more socialite vagina than a Park Avenue gynecologist, I am talking well-bred women of _culture_ – he will chew you up and spit you out."

Kate is honestly so predictable. She is also, clearly jealous and mean spirited.

"Why don't you ask me again why I failed to mention who my date was." She has been trash talking Chris since our last semester – so the guy turned down the interview, so what!

"That was not a put down Ana, stop being so sensitive – I just meant your lack of experience in dating makes you easy prey for a guy like him is all."

"Oh, so it's not that I lack a pedigree, it's just that I am incredibly gullible, lacking ' _experience'_ and common sense. Thank you for that, I think I will turn in. Goodnight." She says leaving the room without a backwards glance.

..

…

….

After a long hot shower to wash off Kate's ugly words and a cup of peppermint tea, Ana settled down and let sleep take her. The next morning she was off to work before Kate got up for the day, she was not in the mood to deal with her nonsense today, she had work to do, none of which involved fetching lattes and doing grunt work for others. She thought uncharitably.

As she got settled into her car seat, she heard her phone buzz in her purse, she chose to ignore it thinking it might be Kate wondering why she left so early. She could make her own coffee and bagel with cream cheese and light butter, she is a grown assed woman, she smirked to herself.

..

…

….

An hour into her day, after starting on her stack of cost analysis – she received an email alert.

From: Christian T. Grey [GEH_1 ]

To: Anastasia R. Lambert [A. ]

Subject: Cellular levels

Ms. Lambert,

Is your company phone not in working order?

I sent you a good morning text message this morning and you never responded.

I hope your morning is going well.

Christian T. Grey, CEO

 _ **The CEO formerly known as Chris**_

Grey Enterprises Holding

..

Ana had to stifle a laugh as she read his e-signature, she loved his sense of humor and knew their email banter was going to be epic.

She immediately checked her phone and found that the text _had_ been from Chris.

 **Good morning beautiful, any chance I might run into you in the atrium around two? – C**

She quickly typed her response.

 **Good morning kind Sir, judging by the stack of papers on my desk this morning I would say there is an almost certainty that I will not be enjoying my turkey sub until after two. – A**

Not to be outdone, Ana also responded to his email message.

..

From: Anastasia R. Lambert [A. ]

To: Christian T. Grey [GEH1 ]

Subject: Good citizen

Mr. Grey,

Thank you for your concern, my impressive company cell is indeed in working order, I heard it buzzing as I was pulling out of the garage on my way to work this morning – and being the good citizen I am, I choose not to diddle with my phone while driving.

I was so eager to get to work this morning, that the buzzing of my phone slipped my mind. My apologies for the delay.

Anastasia R. Lambert

Assistant Accounting Director

 _ **& best buds with Chris**_

Grey Enterprises Holdings

Christian roared with laughter reading her tagline. I'll give her diddle he thought salaciously.

 **Oh Anastasia, my naughty thoughts would make any buddy blush, diddle diddle – C**

..

…

….

To Ana's surprise and relief, Kate was either working late or hanging out, so they had not made contact since Wednesday when she let her feeling flag fly as it relates to Christian.

Christian would be there to pick her up for dinner in half an hour, so she was busy getting ready.  
She chose to wear black skinny jeans with a long sleeved peplum tee with thumbhole cuffs by We the Free by Free People. She topped off the look with a pair of suede wine colored peep toe booties by Kristen Cavallari Leeds. Tonight she was wearing her hair up in a messy bun, with a few silver bangles with matching hoop earrings.

She knew when she heard Kate in the kitchen that avoiding her until tomorrow was not in the cards, so once again she had to face the Kavanaugh inquisition prior to her date with Chris.

..

…

"Hey Ana, _long time no see_."

"Yeah, this week has been a hectic one, have you been working late as well?" Ana tried for an unaffected tone, ignoring the childish tone in Kate's statement.

"A few _friends_ and I have been hanging after work."

"Oh, cool."

"You look cute, date tonight?"

"Yep." She answered, popping the P.

"He should be here in any minute now actually."

She didn't miss Kate's eye roll.

"Where you going?"

"I'm not sure actually, I asked and Chris only mentioned I should dress casually."

"You look cute." Ana wondered if she was repeating herself for some weird purpose.

"Thanks." Just then the doorbell rings, Chris must have walked into the building with someone, avoiding having to be buzzed in.

Ana opened the door this time, and had an eyegasm. Good lord was this man sexy. Christian was wearing dark wash jeans, a dark blue long sleeve cashmere polo, and brown Gucci loafers.

She stepped into his embrace taking in his scent. They released each other and shared a chaste kiss on the lips, ignoring the quiet gasp from Kate, whom Ana had forgotten was standing there.

"Ready buddy?" He whispered so only she could hear it.

"Yes." She turned to grab her purse, keys and phone.

"See you later Kate."

"Ms. Kavanaugh." They said in goodbye, but Kate didn't bother to respond to either of them, she just nodded.

It was not lost on Ana that Christian did not acknowledge Kate's presence until the moment they were leaving, she wonders but not to the point of distraction what that was about.

..

…

"Where are we going?" Ana decided to ask after they had been driving for a while – noticing that they were now driving through a beautiful residential community with very large homes.

"We are having dinner with my family tonight."

"Oh my god Chris, what!?"

"Relax, Ana – this is why I told you to dress casually, so that you would not feel the need to have to put on airs, I want you to be relaxed. Okay?"

Ana took a deep breath and nodded, though feeling anything but calm.

..

…

….

"So until you walked into the conference room she had no idea? Christian Trevelyn-Grey, I can't believe you did that!" Grace Grey asked astonished by her son's account of meeting Ana.

Ana could not help but smile, and blush. Christian was right, she felt very comfortable and at home amongst the Greys, they were down to earth and welcoming.

"When I realized she had no idea who I was, I was intrigued, then relieved, because I could just be myself and have a conversation with a pretty girl." Chris stated, rubbing the hand that he had been touching during dinner.

"Well, considering he has never brought _anyone_ to family Friday, I would say you made quite the impression." His sister Mia chimed in. This bit of news was perplexing to Ana, she knew he had 'girlfriends' – so she wondered idly what being his girlfriend actually meant.

Ana noticed a slight tinge of pink at Chris' cheekbone – was he _blushing_!?

"Ana, so tell us – because we all think Ros is an android, what is it _like_ to work for Chris?" His brother Elliot asks.

"I can tell you that _my_ experience has been a positive one. I've only just completed my second week, but from what I see, people are very happy working at GEH. I see a lot of respect coupled with healthy levels of intimidation, rightfully so." Ana remarked nudging Chris with her shoulder.

"Awe, that's so sweet." Mia gushes.

"What made you choose GEH, and Seattle for that matter?" Christian's dad asks in a lawyerly tone.

"Well of the companies that recruited me…"

"I'm sorry, you were recruited?" Carrick interrupts in surprise.

"Yes, four of the six companies that presented offers were based in Seattle, the other two were east coast, but they were not an option because my mom lives in Vancouver. As for why I chose GEH, I first learned about them through one of my career counsellors, after I explained to her what I wanted in an employer. GEH stood out because of its philanthropic ventures, dedication to climate initiatives and the CEO's reputation for boldly embracing innovation. I wanted to work in a place where I could grow professionally – numbers give me a calming sense of balance and I enjoy working with them. Since I had only a tentative idea what direction my career might take post grad, I figured I would work for a company that had its act together on _many_ fronts while deciding what I want to be when I grow up."

Ana answered with a polite smile, much to the delight of the members of the Grey family.

"Ana as usual is being _extremely_ modest here." If Ana wasn't going to toot her horn he damn sure would.

"She was valedictorian of her class, graduating with a better than 4.0 grade average, given the college credits she received creating a software program she helped develop for the hardware store where she worked for four years part-time. That program was eventually bought by Intuit, creating a permanent revenue stream for the store's owner. In addition to her degree in accounting with a minor in forensic accounting, she also studied, sat for and passed her CPA exam one week after graduating with her undergrad degree."

Ana's cheeks were flaming, she wished the floor would swallow her.

"I'm working on an initiative that will get Ana to toot her own horn, or I swear I'm going to print all of that on a tee shirt." At this the whole family laughs, and Ana laughs along with them, relaxed once more.

"You are quite impressive young lady, and my son is right – do not be afraid to shine. Are both your parents in Vancouver?" Wow, _subtle_ Ana thought. Ana could feel Christian shift next to her, clearly annoyed. She understood though, Carrick was gold digger and interloper patrol for GEH's CEO, she could dig it.

"My father died in a car accident when I was a baby, my mom has never remarried."

"I'm sorry to hear that dear." His mother added.

Ana nodded and smiled politely at Grace.

"My mom is going to visit me here next weekend for Labor Day. I really miss her, I lived at home during college, so this is the first time I have lived away from her – it's _different_."

"You must bring her here for our end of summer barbeque!" Grace declares.

"Well Chris hasn't…"

"Oh, you were definitely getting an invite, I hadn't had a chance to ask you yet, thanks Mom." Christian teases.

"The more the merrier, we would love to have you and your mother." Carrick stated, clearly warmed to the idea, as his smile reached his eyes.

..

…

"So Ana, now comes the most important question, before we start a game of drunken Jenga…do you have an older sister, or really cute friend?" Elliot says, earning him a pillow toss to the face from Christian.

"No, I'm an only child, but I have a few girlfriends from Mathletes – it's like math club for competitors."

"Math club eh? No sorority sisters?'

"Nope, no sorority sisters." The room goes quiet and then erupts with laughter.

..

…

….

"That was a lot of fun, thank you for inviting me to Grey family Fridays."

"You're very welcome, you were a hit."

"I don't know about that."

"My dad is a lawyer and as such he is always questioning, testing."

"I think I get that, but may I ask, why no one else has ever been to family Fridays? I mean you told me you had 'girlfriends'.

"I have no explanation, other than I just never wanted to share my safe space with anyone else until now. I have had girlfriends before, and my parents met them at functions, but I didn't have the desire to invite them to my parent's home."

"I see."  
"That wasn't a good explanation Anastasia." He pauses for a beat.

"Would you like to come to my place for a night cap?" He asked unsure.

"Sure." Hells yeah! She thought, in no rush to head home to Kranky Kate.

"I would rather talk when I'm not distracted by driving."

"That sounds fine."

..

…

"This wine is delicious."

"It's a Barossa Valley Shiraz, I will be certain to always have it on hand for what I hope to be your many visits here."

"Your home is beautiful, it has a flair about it."

"Mia and my mom helped me out a lot, if it had been left up to me it would have been black, white and grey."

"Funny, somehow I knew that, it's warm and loving while masculine, I can tell the decorator has a love for who you are, one that's pure and honest."

Ana was relieved to learn his mother and sister had assisted in decorating, for some reason the thought of another woman's touch made her a bit jealous.

They took their wine onto the terrace, along with a small antipasto platter, Christian grabbed from the fridge.

..

…

"My family, my dad especially is ultra protective of me, I was abused by a family friend when I was Fourteen."

Ana reached out and squeezed his hand but spoke no words.

"She was my mother's friend and for a moment, a brief moment I thought I was the luckiest kid on earth. I was supposed at her house clearing out debris from their yard and – long story short she seduced me."

Christian had never shared this story with anyone outside of his family other than his therapist, and the police of course, but he felt safe with Ana.

"I only had sex with her about three different times, and I told her I didn't want to do it anymore, because I did not like lying to my parents and sneaking around. In addition to that – she was becoming aggressive, wanting rough sex, telling me to skip school, offering me alcohol and weed. These things were a turn off for me, and I know it sounds crazy, but at the time I felt she was a terrible influence, like she was trying to take my youth from me. She became unhinged and began to pursue me, stalking actually, she was always at our house after that trying to corner me, showing up at my school, and sporting events – she was everywhere. I finally had to tell my parents, when she showed up at my school and tried to lure me into her car – when I refused she tried to run my bicycle off the road.

I was terrified, and finally managed to make it home, though I don't know how. I was hysterical and my mother had to actually sedate me. By the time I calmed down, she called and my mother, believing she was a friend told her I came home in a panic and she used the opportunity to say she was coming over to 'help'. At that point it was now or never, and I demanded that Mom call Dad and I spilled my guts. My dad told my mother he was on his way home, and told her not to leave me alone with…with Elena, that was her name.

She arrived in grand fashion, thinking I would not tell what happened between us for fear of getting in trouble with my parents. She instructed my mother to give her a moment to talk to me, but what she didn't know was she was being recorded as she threatened me, propositioned me and even attempted to bribe me, all while she believed my mother was in the kitchen pretending to get us refreshments, but she had her eyes on us the entire time."

"Chris." Ana breathed at a loss for words.

"She wound up going to jail for child rape, and other abuses, because, of course I was not her only victim. We learned later that one of her victims committed suicide after she dumped him when he turned nineteen. She hanged herself in jail before she ever made it to trial."

"Since that time, my dad always treads lightly with newcomers. Especially as it relates to me and women – women generally, while attracted to me physically have proven to be even _more_ attracted to my bottom line."

"I fully understand why, but the rest of your family seems pretty well adjusted."

"My dad is uber protective of all of us, it can be stifling actually – and he never much paid attention to my dates or girlfriends because he could tell I wasn't serious about them. That changed tonight." He said gazing in her eyes.

"Oh." Ana swallowed…hard.

"Yes, oh."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

..

…

….

Christian was awakened by the smell of bacon. He stretched out his arm despite knowing that because Mrs. Jones had weekends off, he would not find Ana there.

They had talked until well after three in the morning and Ana had shown trust by sharing his bed, considering he made no bones about how much he wanted to make her his in every way. For the first time however, it was more important to build something – he could wait.

..

…

"That smells delicious, I'm starving." He said startling her.

"Well, I'm making pancakes." She smiled.

"This kitchen is an absolute _dream_. It is so well appointed and the location of everything makes perfect sense."

"I will be sure to tell Mrs. Jones my housekeeper. She is off on weekends."

Christian was pleasantly surprised that Ana had chosen to make breakfast. Breakfast for all but one of his formers meant ordering in or going out – since he had been living at Escala, only Mrs. Jones had prepared meals there. Until today.

..

…

"Ana, that was delicious, thank you."

"You are quite welcome. I better get out of your way, I'm sure you have stuff to do today."

"Nope, not a thing – would you like to spend the day together? You worked all last weekend thanks to me, you deserve a relaxing weekend. Let's hang." Who the hell _am_ I he thought? _Let's hang?_

"Sure, that would be fun." Ana responded, trying not to sound too eager. "I need to go home to shower and change.

"Well, how about I grab a quick shower and we can head over to your place and then out for the day?"

"Sounds like a plan." She smiled, trying to shake thoughts of a naked, wet Christian out of her head.

..

…

….

"I love that you live so close to me." Christian never thought he would hear himself say something like that, generally when it came to girlfriends, distance was his friend.

"I didn't notice it last night because we were coming from your parents, and I am new to the area, but you're right. It is nice knowing you're close by." Ana responded with a shy smile.

While Christian showered, Ana had checked her voicemail and texts. She had a few from her mom and of course one from Kate.

 _ **Morning Nana, going to the fmrs mkt – gonna to be loaded w/sweets n treats whe next week [three heart emojis] – M**_

 _ **Seeing a sunrise matinee of The Spy Who Dumped Me – M**_

 _ **Later Nana. –M**_

Ana was pleased by the tone of her mom's texts – she and Caroline seemed to really enjoy those sunrise matinees and they often spent hours at the farmer's market on Saturdays.

 _ **So excited, miss you sooooo much. [three heart emojis] u 2 the moon and back – A**_

Ana responded to her mom, happy that she was having fun, even if it was without her being there. For a moment she considered deleting the text from Kate without opening it, but her curiosity got the best of her.

 _ **Well well, will b here waiting 4 ur walk of shame, I want details – K**_

Yeah, that's not going to happen she thought. She scoffed at the ridiculousness of the text, she had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of, even if she had sex with Christian that would not be the case.

..

…

Ana and Christian walked into her apartment and immediately heard Kate in the kitchen, who called out to Ana, before she had the chance to close the door.

"Ana! _There_ she is…I want to know every…" She says rounding the corner from the kitchen.

She stops mid-sentence at the sight of both Christian and Ana, unable to hide her annoyance.

"Good morning Kate."

"Good morning Ms. Kavanaugh."

Christian and Ana say in unison, both smirking at Kate's embarrassment and obvious irritation.

"I will be right back, make yourself at home." Ana is the first to speak, giving him a look that says 'I am so sorry' before leaving Christian in the living room sipping on his strawberry banana smoothie from Cosi.

..

…

….

Christian is wearing cargo pants and boots today with a tee shirt that shows off his muscles, so Ana opted for camouflage cargo pants with a snug fitting olive green tee shirt and black converse wedge sneakers. She went with small hoop earrings today and pulled her hair into a high ponytail.

She walked back to her bedroom from her en suite bathroom and found Kate seated, uninvited on her bed – practically on top of the outfit she laid out.

"I can't believe you _fucked_ him after just two dates." Ana just rolled her eyes and headed for her unmentionables drawer, pulling out barely there lacy boy shorts, just to annoy her further.

"Is that what I did?" She didn't even bother to correct Kate, she has a habit of seeing everything through her slutty brat lens – She fully expected her to stomp her foot in three…two…

"I _know_ that look Ana, I am _not_ stupid." _Too easy_ , Ana thought in an snarky way that was surprising to even her.

" _And_ you have the GPA to prove it." _Go Ana!_ She thought imagining her inner bitch doing the cabbage patch.

"Don't be a smart ass Ana, I can _tell_ something happened."

"Kate, what is your deal with Christian?" She didn't dare refer to him again as Chris with her – she would be pissed if Kate felt that gave her permission to do so as well.

"Hey, I am just looking out for you – I have a friend whose cousin dated him…" Kate's ridiculous disclosure was met with another eye roll, this one even more dramatic.

"Your _friend's_ cousin, I see." Ana felt like she was trapped in some crazy adult sized adaptation of high school, no middle school was more like it.

"You can be as cynical as you like Ana, but you will thank me later." Ana could not believe this chick was attempting to warn her off of Christian, an absolutely wonderful guy - because he rejected her _professional_ advances, this is like a really bad Lifetime movie. _Hashtag delusional_.

"You're right, what with those friend of a friend accounts, that is bang up investigative journalism at its finest." _Fuck it,_ she thought, time to end this lunacy.

" _Fine_! Be an asshole, but word is he dates chicks and dumps them when they get too close, he is a confirmed bachelor and never dates _anyone_ more than a few months. They only meet his family in passing, no Thanksgiving dinner, no nothing. He shares absolutely _nothing_ about himself. He is hiding something, he is _not_ to be trusted."

"Kate, is this really about Christian Grey, or is it about you? You tried to get an interview and it never happened because he refused, then you tried to guilt _me_ into trying to get you an interview, before I ever even accepted the job offer. For a few days you actually stopped speaking to me because I refused. Kate, you _need_ to let this go."

"You could have put in a good word for me. That is what a _friend_ would do." One thing was certain, Kate had no idea what it meant to be a friend.

" _Wow_." Is all Ana says as she had finished dressing and was now applying a little tinted sunscreen and mascara.

"My brother treated you like a princess and you spread your legs for Grey in less than three weeks."

"Your brother is a womanizing jerk who had a girlfriend or four while he pursued and treated me like I was just another _thing_ he was entitled to."

"So what he was a player, he was young – and you never got over it – he has been begging you for years for another chance, but you expect me to just forget Grey treated me like garbage."

Ana could hardly believe that this nonsense was coming from her _adult_ roommate, she remembered that Kate took a class in creative writing one semester yet it appears she clearly does not have a firm grasp on the concept of irony. She took a deep breath before addressing her once again.

"First, your brother is only interested in me because I said no to being cheapened and _used_. Like you, he has a problem accepting rejection. Second, Christian did not treat you like garbage, he doesn't even _know_ _you_ Kate. His _crime_ was telling you no, and it was his PR department that turned you down, not him. It is one hundred percent his prerogative by the way to say no to any interview he chooses – he has done it many, many times and not just to college newspaper editors. He prefers to keep his private life _private_ Kate, you should really learn to respect boundaries. I never thought about it before we met, but the reason I did not know who he was, was because there was little press about him _personally_ , no pictures at all connected to the information about GEH, which was where my interest laid. You need to move on from this Kate, I am saying this in _spite_ of the fact you seem to think so little of our friendship."

"He really has done a number on you hasn't he? Don't worry I will be here as a shoulder to cry on when he has tossed you aside."

"Well, I guess that is my cue. I _gotta_ go Kate."

Unable to control her anger, Ana stopped in her doorway and turned to face Kate.

"After dinner at the Grey's last night, before we played games, _Chris'_ older brother Elliot asked if I had any friends I could introduce him to – and I immediately thought of you – buuuut he and _Chris_ are _very_ close so I doubt you two would be a good fit. Later Kate." She pivots ignoring Kate's stunned, pale expression. _Take that!_

Ana knew this friendship had about run its course and that her living situation had just become untenable. _What the hell was she going to do now_?

"Ready?" Chris nodded, the look on his face betraying that he had likely been able to hear most of that conversation, but she could care less – Kate needed to be put in her place, she was done covering for her _so called_ friend.

"You want to grab a few things and stay the weekend, or we could go shopping tomorrow, it's up to you."

Ana thought about the prospect of coming home to a brooding Kate and opted for peace of mind and just plain old peace.

"Just give me a moment."

Ana grabbed her toiletries, night clothes, undies and clothing for Sunday, and Monday, though she hoped they would stay in tomorrow, she wanted to kick her feet up and read a bit.

..

…

….

When they boarded his yacht, the Grace, Ana could tell something was weighing heavy on Chris.

"What's wrong Chris?"

"Why didn't you tell me that Ms. Kavanaugh wanted to use you to get to me?"

"Well, there were a couple of reasons, one, it happened before I ever stepped foot in Grey House, and I honestly did not take her all that seriously, I thought she was just being her usual bratty self. Two, I thought she was past it and had accepted no. And third, because I felt Kate had been a good friend to me at WSU, and I wanted you to like her. I don't really have many friends – none in Seattle in fact. I can be awkward socially – people don't know how to _be_ around me. Kate made the effort where others did not. It is why I made the comment about built in friends when we talked about your siblings. Women my age tend to view me as though I'm from another planet and boys while they may find me attractive, they don't really see or _hear_ me in any way that is meaningful."

"I get it. I do."

"In all honestly, I knew she would have a reaction to my seeing you, but I was surprised by how upset she actually got, and that stuff about Ethan, _my god_ – she always seemed to take my side in that whole thing – I honestly do _not_ know _where_ that was coming from." Ana states incredulously.

"I know a little bit about her from the background we did…"

"You did a background check on her? Why?" Ana interrupted, surprised by her own voice.

"Well, it's standard actually. Especially in the case of someone like Ms. Kavanaugh."

" _Like_ her, what does that mean?"

"We did a background because of her aggressive attempts to get my attention."

The revelation hit her like a sledge hammer, and she hung her head. Christian raised her chin with his index finger as she tried to stem off her tears.

"So, she never actually tried to interview…"

"Oh, she did, but given her attempts to talk to me at various functions, trying to ingratiate herself with some of my known business associates, cornering my sister at Nordstrom, pretending they have friends in common and worse." Chris stated trailing off.

"Worse?"

"She slept with Elliot."

Ana gasped in shock, she could not believe what she was hearing, or that he kept it from her.

"How do you know all of this, and why are you _just now_ telling me that my roommate has been basically stalking you!" She demands angrily.

"I was concerned about how you might take it all in – I had no idea whether you were very close to her…"

"Oh _please_ Chris, give me a _little_ credit! You weren't completely sold that I wasn't a part of it, admit it!" Ana snaps, feeling misled by him once again.

"Not true! If I felt that way, there was no way I would have taken you to my parents – as a matter of fact I would have made some excuse and not even had our date on Wednesday once I realized who your roommate is. Ms. Kavanaugh has no idea that I know anything about her – I could have avoided contact with you _very_ easily if that were the case."

At this Ana calmed herself, Chris was completely right.

"Ana, your very detailed employee background check did not include Ms. Kavanaugh because you had yet to move in with her – I am grateful for that because I would have _never_ pursued you and you likely would not have been hired."

The revelation washes over Ana, and the thought of a missed opportunity to work at GEH and to meet this amazing man troubles her deeply. She could have missed out on so much, just because of her _friendship_ with Kate.

"Hey, don't be sad – everything that happened, was supposed to happen."

"I…I just feel foolish once again."

"Don't – she likely grew up believing she would end up a rich trophy wife, but she clearly has no clue what men want, or what she needs for that matter."

"How did you know all of this stuff about her, I mean about Elliot…"

"She was not surveilled if that's what you mean. My family members, however, all have covert protection officers, and because of her attempts to get my attention, she is on a proscribed list, that means she is not to have access to me, Grey House, Escala or any properties owned by me or my family members.

A couple of months before you graduated, she showed up at a party in Bellevue where my brother was in attendance. Covert security does not intervene, it is more of an observe and report deal, unless there is a clear threat – they noticed the blonde woman that he left the party with and followed them to the Ritz Carlton. Elliot left about an hour and a half later and drove home. Hotel security assisted in securing the tapes of their arrival as well as their separate departures, for security reasons. It was determined at that time that Ms. Kavanaugh had been my brother's _guest_ at the Ritz."

Ana vaguely remembered Kate mentioning a few parties – only because she thought at that time that her friend needed to be more focused on finals.

"At the time of the encounter, no one thought there was anything odd about it – mainly because this was El's love 'em and leave 'em M.O. she tried for a couple of weeks after that to make contact with him to no avail, which basically confirms that for her it was no random hook-up, she purposely went after El and was likely shocked at waking up alone in that hotel room."

Ana wondered idly just how long it would take to get out of her living arrangement.

"There are a few other minor details you probably should know, things I had no idea should be of interest – the report I was given included screen shots from social media and information on _known_ associates."

She braced herself.

"The first thing you should know is that the young woman that dated her brother, Melanie? She had been friends with Ms. Kavanaugh since middle school – it is _highly_ unlikely she had no idea her brother was seeing her, the three of them are all over social media together in pictures dating back to high school – she even referred to her as her sister-in-law."

Ana felt sick to her stomach. Kate knew she didn't do social media, she also knew her brother only wanted another notch on his bed post and yet she _strongly_ encouraged her to _be_ with him. She got out of her head momentarily as Chris squeezed her hand.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes I'm fine, go on."

"Ms. Kavanaugh may have received a degree from WSU but she was nowhere near the dedicated student she portrayed."

"What do you mean? She was salutatorian!"

"Ana. Eamon Kavanaugh is a billionaire, and a _very_ wealthy benefactor of the university..."

Ana was floored by what he was intimating.

"No. You cannot be saying what I think you're saying – that is not possible Chris."

"There of course is no proof, but nothing about her high school and college performance adds up. She rarely attended classes at WSU – and since you two had different majors and only connected through freshman orientation and outside activities, you would have no way to know she was not attending classes."

And like a sledge hammer – the realization that she has to move _immediately_ hits her in the face.

"I know this is a lot to take in, and I am doing this now and in this way because I do not want you to go back there…"

"Chris, I have no choice until I can figure out an alternative living situation."

"There _is_ an alternative – that is available to you today. GEH owns a condo in the building where I live, it is fully furnished and you can move in today if you choose."

Ana does not realize her mouth is open until Chris tips her chin up, with a cute little smirk.

"Chris I _cannot_ afford to live in your building, hell one of the main reasons I chose to live with Kate was because her father wanted her to have me as a roommate and he pays most of the rent…"

It was now Christian's turn to roll his eyes.

"Ana, you won't have to pay _any_ rent or utilities…"

"That is nonsense Chris, no one lives for free." She interrupts.

"Listen Ana, I am aware that you turned down relocation assistance…"

"Well I didn't have much to move – I purchased bedroom furniture that was delivered when we got here, so I only had my clothes and personal belongings to move, it hardly justified a relocation allowance."

Christian had never met anyone like Ana, he would have thought it made perfect sense to use at least a portion of the relocation monies, to ease in the transition. But not Ana, _his Ana_.

"I understand that, but it was a benefit that you turned down and it maxes out at fifteen thousand dollars for our junior executive team. The apartment is a two bedroom that is fully furnished and you could use the relocation monies for a few months while you decide what you want to do from there, we could work out a reasonable rental agreement if you choose, but my concern is for your safety because Ms. Kavanaugh has exhibited behavior that might mean she is unstable and a possible danger to you."

Ana could not help the tears that escaped.

"How did I not see this, how…"

"You did not see it because you see only good in people, and because you actually _did_ attend classes and had no time for tracking the activities of deranged debutants." He said cracking a smile.

"So, can I get the ball rolling on this for you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, that we are going to enjoy a day out on the water and our picnic lunch, and by the time we arrive at Escala, you will be all moved into your new place… _temporary_ new place."

Ana took a deep breath, and nodded her agreement. She would work hard to find an alternative, and true enough she had turned down the generous relocation assistance – she just had to rethink her plan for home ownership a bit, but this could actually work out. She would certainly be more effective in her position if she did not have the stress of a crazy assed roommate to deal with.

..

…

….

It was just after midnight and Ana and Chris were sitting on the living room floor in front of the fire place in her temporary apartment, it was beautiful here – even more beautiful than the Kiara building. The apartment had two bedrooms and was about two thousand square feet. She had a gorgeous bedroom with a palatial bath that included a second fireplace housed in the wall between the master bath and bedroom allowing for the benefit of radiant warmth in both spaces.

Christian sure knew how to get things done – when he snapped his fingers – people moved – it was evident in the fact that by the time they disembarked, Ana had not only been moved from her apartment, but also settled into her new, temporary one. Her bedroom furniture had been moved to her storage unit at Escala, and the mattress in the master bedroom swapped with the one she had just purchased at Chris' insistence.

Kate had not taken the news well as was evidenced in her phone call to Ana, the last call Ana took before blocking her number.

 _Flashback_

" _Hello?" Ana answered a number she did not recognize, did single white female actually buy a disposable phone because she refused to take her call? She thought to herself._

" _What the fuck is your problem Ana!? Twelve goons just cleared out your fucking room! – what is going on!?"_

" _Kate if you are going to yell, I will have to hang up. Do you understand?"_

" _You couldn't even talk to me, you had to send a goon squad over to clear out your things, without so much as a word to me…you…"_

" _You mean talk to you, the way you talked to me when you knew about Ethan's girlfriend and still encouraged me to screw him?" Ana snipped._

" _Oh grow up Ana, what is the big damn deal? My brother's big crime was he wanted you – you acted as if you were too good for him. You, of all people." She condescended._

" _The big deal is I make decisions for my life and my body, not you and certainly not your brother." Ana was truly and thoroughly pissed._

" _I guess that's a moot point, because you decided to give yourself to the biggest player of all time – I'll be subscribing to the Nooz to watch him publicly dump your ass."_

" _Wishful thinking on your part? After all of your hard work."_

" _What is that supposed to mean?"_

 _Chris, who sat listening to the call at Ana's insistence that he stay when she answered the call putting it on speaker, caressed the hand he was holding. He also started the recorder on his own phone because he wanted to protect Ana in case Ms. Kavanaugh attempted to lie about what was said during their phone call._

" _Did you really think that all of your aggressive behavior and stalking went unnoticed? That no one knew what you were up to? That even though he likely does not even remember your name or face that your tryst at the Ritz was not recorded for posterity?"_

 _They heard her gasp on the other end._

" _That's right Kate, I know everything. I know you used the ole interview the CEO ploy, not as a way to make a name for yourself as a reporter. You wanted Christian Grey, he was your ungettable get as you called the interview, and you were willing to whore yourself to his own brother to get him. Exactly how did you think that would go over at Christmas dinner Kate?"_

" _You are not his type…" Kate interrupted._

" _That's right, because you are, right Kate? What with your pedigree and all. How long have you been stalking Christian Kate?" It was very important to Ana for her to have Kate respond to this question in particular on record._

" _It is not a crime to show interest in someone, you have no idea how the world works Ana."_

" _Enlighten me then." Ana replied barely able to contain her ire._

" _You do not just walk up to a man like Christian Grey, you have to be noticed…"_

" _So, what happened?" Ana interrupted._

" _Well I guess it was you, and you didn't even know who you were spending time drooling all over…'Chris is so nice, Chris is so down to earth for someone so good looking, he's such a great guy, I enjoy our conversations so much…blah blah blah blah blah…'" Christian shakes his head clearly disgusted by her mockery of things Ana had shared with her in confidence._

" _That is impossible you know? We met less than three weeks ago, while you have been on a mission it seems for almost what, two years?" Ana queries ignoring Kate's childishness. She had genuinely believed she was sharing with a friend who cared about her."_

" _Well, he tends to hop from bed to bed, so timing has been an issue. Patience is a virtue you know."_

" _Exactly what part of screwing the object of your affection's brother did you find virtuous Kate?"_

" _All part of the game Ana, it's not over yet."_

" _What exactly do you mean by that?"_

" _You'll find out soon enough."_

 _It was time to end the call, Ana had had enough, and the tape recording would serve as proof of her depravity should the need ever arise._

" _Goodbye Kate." Ana sighed with exasperation as she disconnected the call._

..

…

….

After the messiness of dealing with Ms. Kavanaugh, Christian and Ana had settled into a quiet routine. On Sunday Ana had made them dinner, oven roasted chicken alfredo with al dente zucchini noodles, fresh spinach salad with homemade warm bacon vinaigrette and garlic bread with parmesan cheese with her mom's famous coconut pie for dessert.

They had mainly lounged around on Sunday, completing the New York Times crossword together. They had struggled with twenty seven down, which turned out to be troika, Ana was right and Christian was impressed. Christian gave Ana a tour of the Escala gym, which included to her delight and his, a Pilates machine – Ana was grateful she had shown an interest in taking the classes a few times a month with her mom, and Christian enjoyed the floor show.

Ana refused Christian's kind offer to carpool, she felt it would be a bit much, besides, she liked driving her car in solitude in the mornings, listening to her music and _her_ thoughts. For the most part nothing much had changed at work, with the exception of having lunch with Christian in his office two times this week when he was available. Ana was grateful there was no speculation thus far about the two of them. Through her work, she had earned the deference of her subordinates, and a comradery with her peers.

..

…

….

"You. Are. So. Cute." Christian says in between kisses. Ana had been on cloud nine all day, unable to hide her excitement, knowing her mom would be waiting at Escala when she returned home. It has been a few days shy of a month since she saw her in the flesh, and she was excited to see her. Christian thought it was the cutest thing that she broke out with the cutest grin every time he looked at her during their lunch.

"I want to ask you something Chris."

"Sure. Ask away."

"How shall I introduce you? I mean I know we're dating exclusively – we discussed it. But we didn't label it really."

"Funny, I had been thinking about it – and girlfriend, I honestly feel like I over used _and_ misused the term, but it applies because we are exclusive, but I need for you to know – that what Ms. Kavanaugh said and what I told you about my prior relationships _does not_ apply here. Ms. Kavanaugh was right about one thing."

Ana swallowed, hard.

"When she said I never included any of my ex-girlfriends in the time I spent with my family. I never met endeavored to meet any of their parents, I only did so as a matter of courtesy at an event of some kind. I made it clear that I had no interest in that _kind_ of relationship."

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"So, what exactly is different here?" She asked motioning her hand between the two of them.

"What is different is the way that I feel when I'm with _you_." He answered instantly causing her to blush.

"For the first time in my life I want to have more, and I want that with you." He says planting a kiss that quickly becomes passionate.

"Whew! If you keep doing that – I won't get a thing done this afternoon. I am out of here – call me and let me know when you're ready and I'll bring my mom right on up. I am so excited!" She squeals making Christian laugh out loud.

..

…

….

Ana arrived home around six and found her mom relaxing with a glass of wine thumbing through the cocktail table book Women by Annie Leibovitz while music played softly in the background. In true Mom fashion, Ana thought she had put together a fruit and cheese platter and placed it on the coffee table as well.

"Mom!" She exclaimed wrapping her arms around her.

"My god, it feels like I haven't seen you in a year. Let me look at you. Mom? You have highlights and a sexy new layered haircut, you finally gave up The Hair Cuttery huh? Okay, pour me a glass of wine, while I go and change and when I get back we are catching up." Ana prattles on, not giving her mother a chance to respond to her rapid fire of questions, she then squeals all the way to her bedroom – leaving Carla smiling in her wake.

..

…

"Is it serious Mom?" Ana asked, floored by the news that her mother has been seeing Ray Steele.

"Yes, we have seen quite a lot of each other over the past month."

"I am so happy for you Mom and Ray is a _great_ guy, exactly the kind of guy a fantastic woman like you deserves." Ana says tearing up.

"Oh sweetie, thank you." Carla responds hugging her daughter tightly.

"I was so sad leaving you alone in Vancouver, I broke up the two Muskateers and I imagined you would have no idea what to do with yourself now that I was living here. I am just so happy that you are _finally_ thinking of your own happiness, you are glowing Mom. I love you so much."

"Oh Nana, I never wanted you to worry about me – caring for you, making sure your dreams came true, that was my joy, not a job. The whole point to it all was for you to spread your wings and fly away. When you have children of your own you will understand, now go and wash your face, come back here and tell me all about your new job, and if you feel up to it – just how you wound up living in this _fabulous_ apartment, _alone_." Carla instructed raising an eyebrow.

..

…

" _Oh my_." Was all Carla could muster.

"Yuuup."

"So, she was…"

"Uh huh."

"And you had _no_ idea he was…"

"That's right."

Just then Ana's phone buzzed and her smile told Carla that she was about to meet her daughter's boyfriend.

"Ready to meet Christian?"

..

…

….

"It is a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Lambert." Christian greeted shaking the hand of a hazel eyed, mature version of his beautiful girlfriend.

"Please, call me Carla. It is a pleasure to meet you as well."

"May I offer you ladies a glass of wine?"

"I would love one – though we had a bit of a head start to happy hour." Ana responded with a giggle and light blush. _Adorable_ he thought.

"I would love another glass of wine as well Christian." Carla chimed in.

"Your place is beautiful and the view is breathtaking."

"I can't take credit for either, my mom and sister – whom you will be meeting tomorrow – took over the décor of this place and the view, well that was what sold me on the place."

"Well I better get started on dinner, these salmon steaks were so beautiful it would have been a shame to leave them there."

"Well, Carla would you like a tour while Ana gets started on what will no doubt be a fabulous meal?"

"Absolutely."

..

…

"I can imagine Nana getting lost in this room. You don't even have to tell me that _this_ is her favorite room." Carla remarks taking in Christian's impressive library.

" _Nana_?" He queries, earning a chuckle from Carla.

"Yes, it was how it sounded when Ana was little and she tried to say Ana or Anastasia, it just stuck." She smiles recalling the pleasant memory of Ana as a little girl.

"I want you to know that I am serious about and committed to your daughter. I will treat her with respect and take the best possible care I can of her."

"I want you to know that you _better_ be serious. I have never _seen_ my daughter so happy, and I know that has a lot to do with you. Thank you for how you looked out for her with that Kavanaugh girl – there was always something a little bit off about that one…" She doesn't complete the thought.

"Nan…Anastasia is both sweet and strong. Take care of her heart, and she will take care of yours, now let's get back in there, that dill sauce won't make itself."

..

…

….

"Ana and Christian, thank you for dinner, I think I am going to head downstairs, it is getting close to my bedtime. Thank you Christian for your hospitality and I will see you tomorrow, I look forward to meeting your family. Good night."

..

…

"Mama's gotta brand neeeew bag." Ana sings, while dancing around, Christian is in stitches watching her dance.

"Chris, my mom has a boyfriend! She's dating my old boss Ray Steele, and he is a _perfect_ for her."

"I am happy for her _and_ for you."

"I was so worried about her, I thought she would be home alone every night looking at old photo albums and watching sad television – but _my_ Mama got herself a makeover _and_ a hottie!" She starts to dance again.

Christian smiles a smile a mile wide, because he knew there was something troubling her. It makes perfect sense now why someone so logical and perceptive was oblivious to Ms. Kavanaugh's antics, she was worried about leaving her mom alone. She is dancing now, literally and figuratively.

After about an hour of passionate kisses, heavy petting and dry humping Ana floated towards the elevator to head downstairs to her apartment for some much needed some shut eye, there was little chance she would be sleeping much if she decided to spend the night at Christian's.

"Will you join us for breakfast? My mom makes a mean western omelet." Ana asks peeling herself away from their last grope of the night by the elevator.

"I would love to, what time?"

"Say nine thirty?"

"I will be there."

..

…

….

"Carla, these are my parents, Grace and Carrick Grey. Mom and dad, meet Ana's mother Carla Lambert." Christian says introducing his parents to Carla.

"Oh we are so pleased you decided to join us today." Grace says embracing Carla in a warm hug.

"I am pleased to meet you as well, thank you for having me."

"Yes, we are very glad to meet Ana's mother – we should all head out to the patio - Mia, Elliot and Grace's parents are there along with a few friends. Shall we?" Carrick says as he motions everyone from the foyer towards the loggia.

..

…

"Greene Wade has a solid reputation, a bedrock firm. What made you choose to work for them rather than one of the larger firms in and around Vancouver." Carrick asks once the topic of work became a point of discussion.

"Well, to be honest the choice was made _for_ me, they were the only firm that had an in house daycare center that included infant care – it was a no brainer for me." She smiled at the memory and then continued.

"They provided quality daycare at a low pre-tax rate as an employee benefit, and I _knew_ I had found my firm. I have stayed all of these years because the opportunity to be promoted within was much more than lip service and in my position I have had the unique opportunity to help women who are like me. Our firm has been voted number one place for women in the workplace by the Vancouver chamber of commerce on ten occasions and I would like to think my input had a lot to do with that."

Carrick's usual stoic resolve all but melted away, as much as he had wanted to resist the notion – Ana and Carla were the real deal.

"While I have a bit of a bias towards Grey, LLP – it's clear we could learn a few things from Greene Wade." He responded getting a laugh from both Grace and Carla.

..

…

"I've never seen Ana happier."

"I was actually thinking the same thing about Chris, he's always so serious and stiff – I'm glad to see him acting his age for a change."

Grace and Carla had been quietly sipping some of Carrick's party punch watching their respective children frolic in the pool when they shared their thoughts. Carrick had left to man the grill leaving the ladies to become better acquainted.

"Christian owns about ninety seven percent of that smile she's wearing."

"Oh, do tell – what is the other three percent?" Grace asked curiously.

"I think the saddest day of my life was helping Ana load up her car and watching her drive off to Seattle and into her new life sans mama bear. Ana kept a stiff upper lip and did not cry in front of me, but I could tell she was worried about my being alone for the first time in twenty one years."

Grace reached out and gave Carla's hand a squeeze, she could only imagine what it felt like to have just one child and to have that child grow up and move away from home – she had always had Carrick to soften the blow when one of theirs flew away from the nest.

"I have been dating a very nice man." Carla revealed.

"Oh, that is so exciting." Grace beamed genuinely happy for her.

"Ana worked for him for four years and I never met him even though his sister Caroline and I had become good friends. Turns out she has been setting match making traps for the two of us for most of that time – I just wouldn't bite, much to her disappointment – in retrospect I realize she had not been subtle. Finally, I met him when Caroline insisted I not miss Ana's going away luncheon…"

"Oh, she pulled out the big guns!" Grace giggled.

"She did, and I am glad because I have been spending time with a true gentleman and I am looking forward to this next chapter. When I told Ana I could literally see the moment when the weight was lifted from her shoulders. She does not have to worry about my being not just alone, but lonely. That's the three percent." She winked.

"Why didn't you bring him along this weekend?"

"Maybe next time, I wanted to tell Ana first, to see how she felt about it – I know she is an adult, but it has always been just us, the two Muskateers. To say she was thrilled is an understatement – she loves Ray and already thinks of him as family, and I was thinking she would think it was weird, I wasn't sure how…"

"What the _FUCK_!?"

Their conversation is interrupted by Christian's eruption from the other side of the pool, where Mia is showing him and Ana something on her phone. Ana is in tears.

* * *

 **A/N: Please review. Thank you for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

..

…

….

 _ **SeattleNooz**_

 _ **Flavor of the month?**_

 _ **Our resident Socialite Slayer Christian Grey has a new squeeze – and this time it appears he chose convenience over pedigree by choosing from within the GEH dating pool. Ms. Anastasia Lambert was just hired as the new Assistant Accounting Director, a job our sources report garners a salary of almost two hundred thousand dollars per year. What does a recent college graduate have to do to command such generous starting salary? We are guessing the generosity flows both ways. Rumor has it these two canoodle often over lunch, hiding in the atrium long after the lunch crowd is gone. We are yet to get a shot of them together, but we are officially on Christasia watch, so stay tuned. #Christasia**_

 _ **[Photograph: Anastasia Lambert – delivering commencement address in May of this year]**_

..

…

….

"I want to fucking shut it down – and if _you_ cannot make that happen I will get my legal team on it and they will!" Christian shouted down the house as his father tried in vain to calm him.

"Chris, watch your language please, that is quite enough with the f-bombs." Grace chastises with mixed emotion, while angered by what was written about Ana as well, she cannot help but be enthused by the love pouring out of her son.

"Mom, I get that, but they are calling Ana a whore." He says slowly and deliberately, something he only does when enraged.

"No Chris, they are insinuating – which is how they manage to skirt libel laws, now please calm down so we can think through this. Do you have any idea who this source could be?" Carrick asked.

"I have no idea, any of the café employees could have seen us having lunch and…"

"It was Kate, she told me she would be watching the SeattleNooz site so that she could gloat when Chris dumped me." Ana interrupted.

Mia and Carla gasped.

"Who the fu…the _fuuuudge_ is Kate? Mia asked annoyed, shrugging apologetically in her mother's direction.

"Kate was my roommate until a few days ago. Before I knew Chris was Christian, I told her about my new work friend who I would sometimes share late lunch with in the atrium…" Ana let out a deep sigh for the conversation she and Chris were about to have with the Greys.

..

…

"I had no idea that Ms. Kavanaugh was Ana's roommate at the time I decided to pursue her. And Ana had no idea what kind of person her roommate _really_ was." Christian directed his comment to his father pointedly because out of everyone in the room he was most concerned he would disbelieve Ana.

"Get your PR director on the horn and have her draft a statement concerning Ana's hire. Nothing else, you do not owe anyone an explanation about your personal life." Carrick instructed.

"But Dad, I _want_ to address it – I want everyone to know just how much Ana means to me." Grace hides her smile behind her hand.

"You _will_ but not through the press release." Carrick says with a smirk.

"Let's all get back poolside, and Mia bring your phone and load up that instant thing."

"You mean Instagram Dad?" Mia asked shaking her head at her father's dadism.

"That's what I said."

..

…

 _ **SeattleNooz**_

 _ **Not just another pretty face.**_

 _ **This just in from GEH PR to local news outlets**_

 _ **FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**_

 _ **Ms. Anastasia Lambert - Assistant Accounting Director for GEH graduated valedictorian of her class at Washington State University, graduating with a better than 4.0 grade average, having received college credits for assisting in the development of a software program used to streamline hardware store inventory processes. That program was eventually sold to Intuit for an undisclosed sum creating a permanent revenue stream for the flagship store's owner. In addition to her degree in accounting Ms. Lambert minored in forensic accounting, while she studied, eventually sat for and passed her CPA exam one week after graduating from Washington State University. Ms. Lambert began receiving aggressive employment offers at the end of her junior year and by the spring of this year, GEH was fortunate to be amongst the six offers she was considering. Ms. Lambert chose GEH because of its solid reputation for embracing innovative technologies and philanthropic work, here and across the globe.**_

..

…

 _ **SeattleNooz**_

 _ **Mama Mia Grey!**_

 _ **Oh Snap! Check out the latest Instagram post from Mia Grey's official account:**_

 _ **#DadsKnockoutPunch #EndofSummer #FamilyStyle**_

 _ **#TurntUP #LastOneIn #ItsAllLOVE**_

 _ **[Photo Credit: Mia Grey]**_

 _ **There you have it ladies and gents, the picture shows what looks to be a group toast with members of the Grey family enjoying the Labor Day weekend poolside at Grey manor with friends. In the center of the picture is a tankini clad Anastasia Lambert seated on Christian Grey's lap. I guess that's that. #Christasia is a thing, and the Grey family approves.**_

..

…

"What do you _mean_ I slept with her!?" Elliot yells at Christian as he sits with Ana, Christian and Mia on the pier out of range of parental prying ears.

"El you met her at the Nicholson's party earlier this year and took her to the Ritz Carlton."

"Ooooh! I remember that chick. But alas, I did _not_ have sex with her."

"What!?" Christian and Ana say in unison.

"Yeah she was hot and I remember her now, don't get me wrong I wanted to, but after some heavy petting, and more drinking she basically passed out on me. I thought about hanging out till morning, but changed my mind. I put her to bed _fully clothed_ , with a wastebasket next to the bed and left."

"Oddly enough Elliot when you asked if I had a friend or sister, I initially had her in mind." To which Mia let out a most unladylike growl.

"She actually came right up to me and called me by my name."

"Was that not a hint that she was a stalker El?" Mia asks, punching him lightly on the shoulder.

"Uh, no because when I asked her how she knew my name, she told me she asked Craig who I was. There was no reason not to believe that since she was talking to him right before she walked over to me." He explains with a shrug.

Probably most people wouldn't think of it as strange, given the casual environment. Christian thought idly.

"So, this is over now?" Elliot asked hopefully.

"Doubtful, I think the Instagram shot might just set her on edge, I will have my people keeping an eye on her soon and sorry Mia and El, your covert protection, just became close protection for the time being."

Mia sighed loudly while Elliot just nodded his agreement.

..

…

….

"Ian Skinner." He answered cheerfully – this had been a great day, he got to stick it to Grey and his flavor of the month slut.

"Ian, I will cut right to the chase here, you are going to print an apology and retraction of your article on Grey."

"What!? No, there is _nothing_ libelous in that article."

"Ian have you forgotten who you are speaking to, I am not just your editor, but the owner of this blog. It is one thing to go after Grey and call him a player. It may even be okay to opine about his parade of beauties, and the short lived nature of the relationships. But this is different, you insinuated that an _extremely_ accomplished young woman was a convenient, social climbing whore..."

"I never said that…" He attempts to cut Ryan off.

" _Do not_ interrupt me. You will have that retraction and apology _live_ within the next fifteen minutes, is that clear?

"You already had Debbie post the press release from GEH and the Instagram post from Mia Grey. I don't understand the problem." Ryan was so _fucking_ weak.

"The _problem_ is that your job along with mine and everyone employed by the Nooz depends on it."

"What!? He would never win a lawsuit based on what I wrote, he would not…"

"Well he can and he did, I am looking at an injunction right now, in addition to a lawsuit for libel to the tune of fifty million dollars, on behalf of Ms. Lambert, naming you as a co-defendant. And of course, the lawsuit likely will not stand, but what it _will_ do is bury us in litigation until Grey gets bored, exhausting all of our resources in the process, it is a fight we cannot win."

Ian swallowed hard.

"Now I want that retraction live in _now_ …thirteen minutes. Are we clear?"

"Crystal."

..

…

….

"Got a light?"

"No man I don't smoke." Ian spit, barely glancing at the stranger in the baseball cap.

Before Ian knew what was happening, he felt the wind leave his body followed by excruciating pain. He struggled to pull air into his lungs.

"That's your solar plexus, right now your diaphragm is partially paralyzed which is why you're having trouble catching your breath…"

"What the fuck…" He gasps out.

He doesn't get to finish his thought because he takes three more blows to his lower back, causing him to slide down his car to the ground which had been the only thing keeping him standing.

"That's your liver, the nice thing about the liver is that if you hit it just right you get the Vagus nerve which tentacles out to the rest of your body, your brain short circuits - your body shuts down and you feel, what's the word? Oh _yeah_ …fear. Maybe this is what it feels like to the people you write garbage about – you know the ones who live in fear that their reputations will suffer irreparable damage because of the bullshit you write."

"L…look man, whatever I did…to…" He manages to groan out.

"That's irrelevant, it's already handled…this is just what happens when you hurt _my_ family. Fuck with her again, and I will be back, just so you know? _If_ there is a next time, you _will not_ be walking away."

The last thing Ian felt before he passed out was a vicious kick to his groin by what could only be a steel toed boot.

…

….

Ian awakened, alone in the parking garage his pants soaked in his own urine, with a printed copy of his Nooz article lying beside him. He realized it was his phone's ringtone that had jarred him from his forced nap.

"Yes." He answered struggling to his feet.

"I tell you to write a retraction and apology and you write _that_ garbage!" Ryan yelled from the other end.

"I did what you told me to do, I …"

"Oh you apologized alright, then you went on to call me a weak coward who didn't have the balls to stand up to Christian Grey, who you then called a worthless piece of shit bully who destroyed lives and careers for sport. If it had not been for Debbie that shit would have gone live you asshole!"

Ian had no idea what Ryan was talking about, he could show him on his laptop, if only his messenger bag with his laptop in it wasn't missing, along with his car key.

"Why would I write that! I did exactly what you told me to do, I was _hacked_ Ryan, that's the only possible explanation! Please you have to believe me." He pleaded.

"Actually I don't _have_ to do anything. You're finished, and not just here, you'd be lucky to find a job on this coast at all – hell in the states, Christian Grey is _very_ powerful. You made the wrong guy mad."

"Listen to me Ryan, I was set up, I was attacked, it had to be one of Grey's goons. I just woke up in the garage, and my laptop is gone and…" Ian knew what the silence meant, but he could not help himself.

"Hello…hello!?" What the fuck was he going to do now?

..

…

"Hey."

"I need for you to pick me up."

…

….

"Hey baby, I will be there in the morning for brunch, thanks so much for the invite. I take it your real life version of Meet the Parents went well."

"Ray, we don't have to worry about her, she is in good hands."

Ray wasn't so sure about that based on the garbage that was printed about his little Anastasia on that gossip blog, he was anxious to check out this playboy Grey guy for himself.

"I got us a suite at The Four Seasons, for tomorrow night, I've missed you." This made Carla giggle, and sent a shot straight to his hardened heart.

"I've missed you too Ray. I actually started missing you the first night as soon I knew Ana was okay and just so you know, she is tickled pink about us. She will be so excited to have you here."

"I'm very glad to hear that. Look baby I'm gonna finish up this last bit of work and I will see you at eleven at… Palisade is it?"

"Yes, that's it, Grace says it has a beautiful view of the water – I can't wait to see you."

"Same here. Goodnight sweetheart."

"Night Ray."

..

…

….

Ray torched Skinner's car under a lonely overpass, and tossed his laptop into the sound minus the motherboard which we will break up and toss into a vat of sulfuric acid once he returns to Vancouver on Monday. His guy had been swift with the hack that ruined the prick professionally, but it wasn't enough, not for what he said about Anastasia. _Fucking asshole_.

Ray had made certain she was safe, ever since she breezed into his life and heart four years ago. He wondered idly, and briefly at the time if it was an act but soon learned she was the genuine article – he was flooded with regret for a time because having Ana in his life showed him what he could have had as a father, had he not shut down after Sarah left him all those years ago.

Ana had no idea about his past, the things that made him who he was before he was Raymond Steele, owner of Steele Hardware. He had not held back from Carla however, if she was going to be his wife someday – he had to know that she could be trusted, and that she could trust him, with her life. Ray had settled into a quiet life of routine and calm existence, Caroline and Martin were his family and he enjoyed having them live with him, in a house he built as his catharsis. War changes men, tears at the very fiber of their humanity, the people Ray loved had reconstructed his.

..

…

….

"You look like shit, what happened to you, _my god_ , what is that _smell_? Roll down that window!"

"Oh I don't know blondie, that aroma you're so taken with is probably from when some guy kicked the shit out of me and I woke up marinating in my own _piss_. Thanks so much for the tip on the story cupcake." He growled sardonically.

"What are you talking about?" Kate asked, taken aback by his anger, she gave this schmuck the scoop of the year.

"I _wrote_ that fucking story, based on info _you_ gave me. Less than an hour later Grey's people released a statement, naming his new bitch mother _fucking_ Teresa, ten seconds after that Mia Grey posts family pictures on Instagram with your girl giving Grey a lap dance with the entire family grinning like loons, hashtagging up a _fucking_ storm."

Kate had stayed off of the web, she didn't want one of Grey's gurus tracking her web activity and tying the story to her, she had used her burner cell to be in touch with Ian, and she made certain no one ever saw her with this greasy loser.

"Wait, it gets better, after my boss demands I submit a retraction and apology because Grey was threatening to sue for fifty million dollars and because he's a feckless fucking cunt who refused to have my back – I wrote the damn thing, I leave the office and some guy with his baseball cap pulled down so I couldn't identify him in a lineup if my life depended on it, asks if I have a light and then proceeds to beat the living _shit_ out of me, and I woke up next to my car with my laptop missing and no car key."

"You think Christian Grey had his guys do this to you?" She asks incredulously. He was an aristocrat, Kate did not think for one moment he was capable of violence, not even by proxy.

"Well, DUH blondie!" He sniped.

"I don't _think_ I know that because as I came to I got a call from my boss and editor telling me that I had submitted an apology and then went on a profanity laced rant. So now I am out of a job." He said as they pulled up to the shitty run down building where he lived, where Kate had met him when she first laid out all the _dirt_ she had on that little _bitch_ Anastasia Lambert.

"Come on up, I'll grab a quick shower, change and grab my extra key so you can drop me at my car if you don't mind." He posed it as a request, but really he wasn't asking he was demanding, after all she was to blame for _all_ of this shit as far as he was concerned.

"Fine."

..

…

….

"You really could use a cleaning service, this place is a sty." Kate grumbled from Ian's hideous sofa while a post shower Ian searched for his spare car key.

"I think that's probably a good idea, what does something like that cost?"

"Who knows, a few hundred I guess, how would _I_ know? Those people work for shit pay."

"Oh, okay so, an amount that would be reasonable for you then?" This bitch owed him, and he was going to collect. She walked into his place that first time, laced in designer garb from head to toe, smelling like money and oozing superiority. Well, _he_ had the upper hand now.

"For me? What the _fuck_ are you talking about?" She scoffed.

"I'm talking about watching Christian Grey destroy your life too if he ever finds out the information on his little miss perfect came from you…or not." He smirked.

"You...you're blackmailing me?" She responded suddenly feeling unsafe in his home. She had gone to great lengths to make sure there was no connecting the two of them. _No one knew where she was_.

"And here I thought you were a bit slow."

"You son of a bitch, I don't even make that much money."

"No worries, I don't need much really, just a few thousand a month to start, let's say ten." Ian knew she was a Kavanaugh, he did his homework that meant she had money to burn, hell that purse she is carrying was easily ten grand. _A fucking purse._

"That would wipe me out…I can't…"

"You can, and you will – with a few extras maybe." He purred, gently rubbing his forefinger across her cheek. She was hot as fuck, why not get a little high class pussy on demand as a bonus, he could tell she would do _anything_ for his silence.

"You fucking piece of shit." Kate said in almost a whisper.

She turned her back to him, rage searing her veins, angry tears falling involuntarily, she began to shake. She would not cry in front of him, this slimy asshole would _never_ touch her. She could feel him come up behind her and cup her breasts, his lips close to her ear. She did not dare move, she was paralyzed by fear. He could do anything he wanted to her at this point because she could never admit to knowing him, let alone being in his place, and he knew it.

"I am going to enjoy every single time I slam myself deep inside you, I bet this high class pussy will squeeze me dry." He whispered in her ear ignoring her trembling body, as he moved one hand downward shoving it between her legs.

"NO!" She screamed and before he could react she bent down and grabbed something from his coffee table, turned and swung it at him hitting him in the side of his neck.

When she yanked her hand back, Ian looked down and saw his heather gray tee shirt turning bright red, while she stood there holding his letter opener staring at him with a shocked expression.

"What did you do?" He barely got out in a whisper.

"Help, you have to call for help." He begged slumping to the sofa, trying desperately to stem the bleeding with his hands.

"Help me…please."

Kate had stepped out of his grasp and began to wipe down things she had touched, no longer focusing on the man in front of her who was fading quickly.

She wiped the letter opener and placed it back on the coffee table. She ran to the bathroom and inspected her face hair and clothing for any signs of blood and she saw no traces with the exception of her hand. Nonetheless she grabbed a hair tie from her bag and pulled her hair into a tight bun. She then searched his medicine cabinet, found hydrogen peroxide and washed her hands in it. She had remembered their housekeeper using it to get blood out of the carpet that time she had a nosebleed after her one and only experience with cocaine. She jumped into the shower in her clothing and used his cheap body wash to wash her face and clothes. She then found brand new gym shorts and a sweat shirt which she put on after using the JC Penney bag for her wet clothes. She didn't even look at Ian as she left, but saw his lifeless body out of her peripheral vision on her way out of the door.

Kate took the stairs two flights down, walked to her car in the dimly lit parking lot and drove home.

..

…

….

Ray jogged back to The Four Seasons from the waterfront, and walked into his suite. Tomorrow night he would have Carla with him, but first he had to size up this Grey guy, he had seen the press on him and he seemed like a grade a douche bag, but that's largely press coverage crap – he had to see the man face to face to really know for certain.

"How long have you been on me?" He spoke into the darkened room.

"Right after the parking garage." Was the response as the light came on and illuminated the face of an old friend.

"Taylor, you old dog." He laughed, lowering and holstering his weapon before embracing his old friend. "The newspaper was sloppy T." Its placement outside his door was slightly different from where he had left it while he ran his... _errand_.

"The newspaper was intentional." That triggered a belly laugh from Ray.

"How long have you been working for him?"

"I have been with Grey for about eight years now."

"Tell me."

"He's in love with your girl."

" _And_ …"

" _And_ he's a good man. That man who you fucked up and fucked over tonight, was in the process of being fucked over already, on top of that, that website will be gone permanently by the end of the week – just for employing the asshole in the first place. The young woman, Anastasia's former roommate, who gave that fool the info to use against Anastasia, just cost her father his multi-billion dollar media conglomerate – he won't know what hit him. The older brother of that same young woman who tried to pressure Anastasia into sleeping with him, _four_ years ago, in spite of having a girlfriend, will likely never be accepted to any decent medical school, in the United States anyway. And just for shits and giggles, he plans to expose how Kavanaugh basically bought and paid for his daughter's undergraduate degree and class ranking. _All_ of these things will happen in a very, devastatingly public way. All of this will happen because Anastasia _cried_ today."

Ray was rarely impressed. Grey had impressed him.

"Look, the guy is a twenty eight year old _billionaire_ , we wear catcher's mitts for all the pussy thrown his way. He is as selective as he is decent. He dates one woman at a time, albeit a short time and he has never deceived a woman about his intentions. Until last week , he had never taken a woman to his parent's home for any reason, not even their annual charity ball. Like I said he's a good man."

"Okay."

"So."

"So?"

"Anastasia's mom huh?"

Ray can't help his smile.

"Absolutely."

..

…

….

"Chris, this restaurant is beautiful."

"It really is, thank you for bringing us here." Carla says.

"You are very welcome. This is my parent's favorite place for brunch. We reserved the water side of the restaurant since we have a pretty large party. That and I wanted us to have privacy."

"Good morning Mr. Grey. Please come this way, some of your party has already arrived." The hostess smiles.

..

…

"Ray. Hi!" Ana's eyes light up as she walks into his embrace.

"Hey kiddo, I've missed you." He says planting a kiss on the top of her head.

"I've missed you too."

"Hey baby." He beams, hugging Carla tightly and then planting a chaste, but brief kiss on her lips.

"Ray, this is my boyfriend, Christian Grey."

"Ray Steele." He says in introduction extending his hand.

"Christian Grey, Ana has spoken very fondly about you, its an honor to meet you." Christian responds shaking his extended hand.

"Good to meet you as well, just what have you been saying Lambert?" Ray teases Ana, who blushes.

"Only good things, I'm quite handy because of you, you know?"

..

…

….

Ana could hardly take her eyes off of the striking couple that sat across from her. Her mom looked absolutely radiant. Carla was wearing a white linen sheath dress by J. Crew with tan suede heels and a matching clutch, while Ray looked dapper in khaki slacks, blue blazer and a blue and white stripped dress shirt with brown loafers.

The Greys arrived just before eleven. Everyone enjoyed light brunch banter and excellent food, the events from yesterday all but forgotten. The Nooz had printed a retraction as well as an apology, but the damage had been done, and Ana did not look forward to work on Monday. Chris told her that if anyone dare to look at her cross, he would empty the building and start over from scratch, she had laughed when he said this to her, but there was no doubt he would lay waste to anyone who dared show her any disrespect, and while she viewed this as a gross overreaction, it made her feel she was precious to him, it made her feel safe.

After brunch the group traveled to the pier and boarded the Grace for cocktails, music and conversation. Christian decided not to take the boat out because the water was a bit choppy, he and Elliot were drinking and Mac was not onboard.

Elliot and Ray bonded over all things tools and construction, while the men talked endlessly about fishing and _cigars_ oddly.

Ana learned about Mia's career aspirations. She completed her studies late last year at The Paris School of Fashion and Lesage Paris. Astonishingly Mia had had an opportunity to be part of the Project Runway cast, but she decided against it because of contractual concerns and her belief that ultimately they were more interested in the Grey name than her actual design talent. When Mia demanded that she receive executive producer credit and compensation, given that the network wanted to market the new season using her name and image – talks broke down. In the end she decided it would be best to create her own vehicle through which to market her talent and designs.

Mia is in the final planning stages for Dentelle her couture boutique in West Mercer Island, specializing in formal wear and her true love, one of a kind bridal gowns. Christian plans to fully back her, though Ana picked up on some mild trepidation when she mentioned Christian's backing.

"Mia what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just need to get over my romantic notions of being quote unquote self-made. I mean, I have all of these incredibly successful people around me and the minute I mentioned what I wanted, they all sprung into action. It took me talking to each of them individually for them to finally understand that while I want their help and most certainly their business advice, Dentelle had to be _my_ vision. I got so frustrated at one point I said I did not want the start up money, even if it meant I would do a start up kiosk somewhere. Christian helped me to see reason and told me how foolish I was being by reminding me that he had received help from our parents in the beginning, explaining that taking the money would not make Dentelle any less my vision."

"Mia, you have a built in attorney, architect slash mechanical engineer who just happens to be one of the best builders in Washington state, and a billionaire business mogul – those are assets you should use to your advantage – remember, work smarter not harder. Christian is right, those few photos you have shown me today are incredible, Dentelle would be nothing without _you_. They along with you are all type A – when they push to far, you push back and make sure you get the help _you_ want."

Mia gave Ana a big hug, it was nice to have input from someone not just her age, but equally as driven. Mia felt happy about her new budding friendship with Ana. Chris' new love.

..

…

….

Ana and Carla were preparing dinner for their men at Christian's and for Ana it was bitter sweet because she knew that Carla would be spending the night with Ray. Had she known last night was their last night she would have maybe stayed up later, but she was glad Carla and Ray decided to squeeze in some time together this weekend as well.

Tonight's meal was going to be pretty simple, Carla has prepped the four filets in a garlic and herb marinade and they would pan sear then broil them. They decided on twice baked potatoes and French cut green beans, with the cream cheese pound cake Carla brought with her to Seattle for dessert.

Christian and Ray decided to play a game or three of pool while leaving the experts to the kitchen. Mrs. Jones once caught Christian before he placed a calzone wrapped in aluminum foil in the microwave, Ray wasn't much better and would have survived on take-out if it wasn't for Caroline.

Ray had been alerted when Grey's people dug into his background, nothing too invasive, not that they would be able to go that deep anyway – Taylor would have made sure of that, but he had been annoyed by the intrusion until he learned a bit more about the guy. Given the nature of his business and some of the people he has likely encountered – not to mention his interest in Ana, he gave Grey a pass. Just this once.

"I am a man of a few words, so I will just cut to the chase. Ana is the daughter I never had, never knew I wanted. If you are not sure, get out now, because if you hurt her…"

Christian takes the opportunity to speak his mind, cutting Ray off.

"I have nothing but good intentions where Ana is concerned, for the first time in my life I am falling in love and it is devastating because I pride myself on being in control. I now understand the term 'falling' as it relates to being in love, because it is all encompassing and scary and wonderful – and all I know is I just want to fall even more as long as when I land I am holding onto this amazing woman. I love her, and I hope that's good enough, because no matter what you may think of me, I will never let her go."

" _Damn_ son, if you ever get bored with mergers and shit you should trot on over to Hallmark. You gotta tone it down a bit, billions of dollars, good looks and that flowery shit – you're gonna put the rest of us outta business." Ray teases, causing both men to almost burst with laughter.

"I am glad Anastasia met you. She is a very special young woman, and had my sister Caroline been just a might more pushy, I would be speaking to you right now as her stepdad."

"Now whose the flowery poet?" Both men laugh at this.

"Okay, you got me but I do plan to make her my wife, I just have to be patient with her and with Anastasia."

"Well, if I may be so bold, I think Anastasia will be your biggest cheerleader in that she is over the moon happy – she even broke out and danced to her own rendition of 'Mama's Got a Brand New Bag' – I think you're good." Christian said chuckling at the memory.

"That's good to hear. Carla was worried she might not want to share her with anyone, since it's always been just the two of them."

"Ana was very concerned that her mom would be in alone in Vancouver forever, her distraction I think caused her to downplay a situation that could have turned dangerous for her."

"Carla told me a little something about the crazy roommate – I never met her, and Ana had only mentioned her in passing, something about a party or something. I admit I was kinda surprised that she was moving in with her." What Ray wasn't going to say was that his background had returned nothing remarkable about the Kavanaugh girl except that her family was very wealthy. Inwardly he was thrilled that Christian was planning to take them down.

"I'm glad you're here looking out for her. The security in this place is impressive – only three apartments on her whole floor and you just an elevator ride away."

"Ray, so far she has had covert protection, but I plan to talk to her tonight about stepping her up to close protection, because of the article. I am very angry that people know who she is and where she works. I hate that being with me has subjected her to those vultures."

Christian has no idea about Ray's covert protection of Anastasia for the past four years and though she would soon have close protection – his guy would remain. Grey's people are good, that covert surveillance is how Taylor had been tipped off ultimately determining that it had to be him – T would let Grey know when the time was right. Hopefully when that time came Grey would understand that Taylor was indeed doing his job to protect him, because knowing anything about the men with whom Ray worked would be dangerous for his boss, these men did not complete W-4's as there would be no social security number to list. For as long as she lived Anastasia would always be safe, and now so would Christian Grey.

"So I'm going to have to work out like Grey here if you keep feeding me these kind of meals. That was delicious ladies…whew Grey I think that cake was richer than you!" Ray comments and roars with a laugh that makes the ladies giggle and Christian almost spit out his coffee.

"I second that, Carla and Ana that was fantastic." Christian complimented when he regained his composure.

Christian like Ray, he liked him a lot. He didn't know Carla that well, but he felt a sense of calm knowing that with this guy around she would be well cared for. Ray had a certain presence, much like that of Taylor that exuded a trustworthy kind of serenity – it had been the reason he hired Taylor. He knew that Ray was ex-military and that he had a short lived marriage, but not much more – and for reasons he couldn't quite understand Christian knew that was enough.

He liked that Ray didn't allow him to take himself so seriously, he was a lot like Elliot in that respect. Elliot, just like Ray while jovial was very no nonsense so there was always hell to pay if someone would dare to try anything with one of the Grey kids. That reminded him, that he needed to call Elliot back since he rang him while he was playing pool with Ray.

..

…

Elliot had double majored in architecture and mechanical engineering at Stanford, and while he partied hard on the weekends, he graduated magna cum laude in four years in spite of choosing one five year major. His big brother was a fucking rock star, so they were not all that different in terms of determination and ambition. The big difference had always been that El was able to relax and enjoy life and Christian had always envied that. His mom always told them that while Elliot and Mia were very demonstrative babies, Christian was very reserved and in one instance she swore he gave her a look that said 'you gonna change this diaper or what?' He knew early on that in between the two over the top personalities, he _was_ Jan Brady.

"Hey El, what's up?"

"You took hours to call me back Chris, you don't love me anymore do you?" Elliot teases, making his little brother laugh.

"I just wanted to let you know that I ran into Suzanne last night at Mirrors and…"

"You actually hung out last night after we left the rents at almost midnight?"

"What can I say? I'm single bro, besides Ana's one Seattle based friend turned out to be a dud. Anyway, she approached me, not that I was surprised considering all the press from yesterday. At any rate she was pretty hammered man and I mean hammered. I put her in an Uber and followed it to her house to make sure she made it in, I never left my car though – your guy can confirm that. I just wanted to let you know she's not handling the break up well – she started going on and on about how you just dumped her out of nowhere, and now you're with this 'little girl' her words not mine. And based on your track record she might not be the only one, so I hope you have some peeps in place because while I don't think Suzanne is the violent type, she did feel okay with just walking up to me, the brother you never introduced her to."

"I get it, and I will take care of it…"

"Don't feel bad, this is not on you bro."

"Of course it is. You know, I tell myself that I was honest with those women, but just like you El, I see the hope in their eyes when I wine and dine them – but I never ended the relationships because I was selfish, telling myself I never led them on, but I wasn't fair I don't think. Now that I'm with Ana I feel what it feels like to really like someone and to hope that they feel the same."

"That's very self-aware dude, but the thing is you _were_ honest, and they were all adults who in spite of what you told them up front, chose to continue and allow themselves to believe something contrary to what you had told them. There was one other thing I wanted to mention, she called you a cheater..."

"What!? I never cheated on her, on _anyone_ for that matter – where did she get that notion?"

"Apparently she was approached by some blond bimbo who told her you were seeing Ana before the two of you broke up, that's what led to her drunken swan song at Mirrors. Any guesses on who _that_ might have been?"

"Unfortunately just the one we all know about – and her destruction is all but assured at this point, along with her dad and brother."

"Woah! Remind me never to piss you off." Elliot laughs.

"El?"

"Yeah?

"Never piss me off." They both enjoy the levity of this moment.

"Laters."

"Laters El."

 **A/N: Thank you for reading, please review.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

..

…

….

Christian and Ana lay in bed that night – after discussing the situation with Suzanne and Kate, they were drained mentally.

"I would like to tell you that I am surprised by the lengths to which Kate will go to get her own way, but I saw it first hand."

"How did you ever become friends with her in the first place?"

Ana starts with a giggle and then bursts into a full blown belly laugh, Christian could not help but laugh with her.

Once she manages to calm herself, after laughing so hard she cried she explained.

"She interviewed me for the school paper." Now he understood her laughter.

"In retrospect Kate did a terrible job, but she was so nice to me – what I realize now is that I was non-threatening to her surface sensibilities and I admired her outgoing bubbly personality. I was so focused on my personal goals that I paid little attention to what was behind the façade. She was very popular, introduced me to people and invited me to hang out. Normally I would have turned down her invitations, but I promised my mom _and_ myself for that matter, that I would make an effort to be involved in a meaningful way in the culture of campus life – seeing as how I lived at home. We did not see each other much, so it took time to truly _see_ her, actually it took me moving in with her."

"That makes perfect sense, I cannot imagine you thinking negatively about anyone, not right away anyway."

"I loved the building we lived in – the amenities and convenience, my roommate not so much, Kate thought it was quote 'just okay'. I had honestly believed all of that ' _beautiful mogul_ ' talk was just sarcasm on her part. Our falling out had opened my eyes to the way she viewed friendship and I mistakenly felt that the generous offer from Kate and her dad was partly about smoothing things out between us – she had been on thin ice with me and I naively thought she would try and make it up to me, she obviously had no real intention of doing so."

"I will never understand why people are so interested in what I do, what I wear, who I choose to date. There are so many things that would be much more productive outlets…" Christian said taking a deep breath.

"Well I have no idea really, but I personally believe like you said before that she was on a mission to find a mate, _a rich one_. Kate does not want to work for her living – she wants spa days, shopping trips and lunch with the ladies, I think she just became fixated on you as her ideal candidate. I believe her father would be thrilled to have someone like you take her off his hands, because of course – the allowance he gives her every month is 'chump change'."

"What!? What does that even mean?" Christian asked amused by her air quotes.

"Oh, that's what Kate calls the fifteen thousand dollars, per month she gets from her parents, in addition to paying her living expenses, including a gas card for her brand new Benz. I…I'm sorry Chris I know I sound like I'm hating on her but…"

"Actually you don't." He speaks, cutting her off.

"You sound frustrated that someone who has everything handed to her seems so damned ungrateful."

"That is exactly it actually – please understand that my mom made a good living, in addition to making sound decisions with the hefty life insurance pay out from my father's death. I never, wanted for anything, my mother kind of spoiled me a little in fact. But, she also taught me about hard work and the value of a dollar. We volunteered regularly at shelters, especially during the holidays – because with it being just the two of us, having so much – my mom wanted me to understand how difficult life was for some women who raised their children alone. I appreciate every kindness ever shown me while Kate takes it all as payment just for being alive."

"My parents were the same, we also did a lot of volunteer work – we had no choice. My parent's charity Coping Together was started almost twenty years ago because my mom was determined to do more for the children of drug addicted parents who wound up in the ER at Seattle General. She knew she had to contribute something more than thoughts and prayers."

"I feel bad that I knew nothing about Coping Together – I was so focused on what GEH was doing that I never looked into the Greys as a family – it never occurred to me. I _would_ like to get involved with Coping Together – mailings, database building, anything I can do to help."

"I will put you in touch with Grace Grey, she and Mia will absolutely love that."

..

…

….

"Do you find this frustrating?" She asked motioning her hand between the two of them.

"What? Not having sex with you? No, not really."

"I am not even sure what that means." She sighs, feeling embarrassed for asking and mildly insecure about holding his interest.

Christian moves forward and entwines their legs, hiking up one of her legs so that her core is positioned perfectly against his erection, he watches as she reacts to the feeling of him. He tilts her face so she is looking up at him and adjusts her pillow so as not to hurt her neck.

"Well, if you're asking me if I yearn to put my mouth on every inch of your delectable, tight little body, making you come over and over again till _you_ little miss numbers genius forgets how to count to two – causing your warm arousal to ooze down your thighs just before I thrust slowly and deeply, feeling you slick and so _fucking tight_ around me – with the only sound in the room our bodies slapping together, while your nails skim lightly up and down my back, until you're about to come so hard you feel like your body might break in two so you dig your nails in and hold on tight for the ride while you scream out my name?"

Ana swallowed hard, wondering idly who turned up the heat in the bedroom.

"The answer is – I can wait because it _will_ happen, and when it does, it will never _stop_ happening. In all honesty, this is the _most_ intimate I have ever been with anyone."

 _Wow_! Ana thought to herself, she was no fan of run on sentences, but that one had her soaking wet – well that and his grinding against her sex, slowly and oh so deliciously.

..

…

Ana and Christian were breathing heavy as they kissed passionately and dry humped each other for dear life, he knew she was close when she began to whimper and her movements became less coordinated.

"Chris…uh…aaaah" She stuttered through a mind blowing orgasm.

The sight of Ana coming caused Christian to follow her with an intense orgasm of his own.

"Well that was different." She breathed as she caught her breath.

"Yes, that was much better than my BOB."

"Who the _fuck_ is Bob and what exactly makes him _yours_?" Christian asked trying to control his temper and jealousy.

"Chris, relax please, BOB is an acronym." She said giggling.

"An acronym? Ana what the _hell_ are you talking about?!" Now she's full on laughing uncontrollably, but Christian is too annoyed to join her – she's still cute as fuck. He wonders idly if Bob thought the same thing.

"Whew! Chris – I really need to stop holding out on you – you must be _amazing_ in bed if no girl has ever mentioned her BOB to you. Mine has been working overtime since the day I met you." She says shaking her head in amusement.

"BOB or B-O-B stands for _battery operated boyfriend_. And until just now he has been the source of every orgasm I have ever had."

"So, that was your first…?"

"Yeeep."

"Wow."

"Wow is right."

"So, how often do you…?"

"Well since I met you, _every_ day – I had to buy new batteries…twice. But before that, on average once a week."

"I cannot believe a guy as worldly as you never heard the term BOB, but then again – perhaps your girlfriends had no need for him." She said wiggling her eyebrows, causing his cheeks to flush, making him grateful for the cover of darkness and _filtered_ moonlight.

"I would like to think that was the case, but the truth is, I dated women I didn't bother to open up to – and as a result I knew very little about them."

"Oh."

"No…do _not_ clam up on me. I want to know _everything_ about you. What made you pick up BOB in the first place." Christian insisted.

Ana immediately felt her cheeks turn what had to be crimson.

"Okay I will tell you but you have to promise me you will not judge."

"I swear, scout's honor." Christian stated holding up three fingers to his brow.

"Were you ever a scout?" She asks raising an eyebrow.

"No." He responds laughing out loud.

"Whatever, _fine_. My mother bought it for me." Ana blurted out before hiding her face in his chest.

"Well that is not what I was I was expecting at all." Christian remarked, feeling a little embarrassed having asked.

"Yeah, she could tell I was hormonal and sexually frustrated. I was eighteen almost nineteen." Ana responded more casual that she certainly felt in the moment, lifting her head to meet his gaze.

"Is that how that works? Mothers all over America are buying their daughters dildos!?

"BOB isn't a dildo, he is a vibrator." She giggles.

"What is the difference?"

"A dildo is basically a vibrator without a motor, while the vibrator pulsates and some of them have rabbits attached like mine…I'm hungry again, how about you?"

..

…

….

Christian and Ana chatted the night away sitting at the breakfast bar eating eggs scrambled with sautéed spinach, pancetta, sweet onion, red bell pepper and sprinkled with Gruyère straight from the frying pan.

"This is _so_ good, I didn't even realize I was hungry." Christian said stuffing his face.

"Thanks, I love one pan meals and eggs are always a good bet."

..

…

"So you and Elliot actually let Mia dye your skin blue to take her trick or treating!?" Ana asks, holding her side laughing.

"Yep, it took about a week for it to wash off completely, Mom was pissed, and Dad just shook his head and called us two idiots. But she wanted us to be the Blue Man Crew and we never asked why Hannah Montana would be hanging out with them, hell we did that for the same reason we played Barbies and let her paint our toenails…" He says laughing at the memories of being Mia's dress up dolls.

..

…

"Noooooo….you put half a bottle of dishwashing liquid in the dishwasher, oh my god!" Christian is hysterically laughing as Ana recalls the story of the time she tried to _help_ her mother wash dishes and turned the kitchen into bubblerama.

"I sure did, my mother was showering and when she came downstairs she found me in a sea of bubbles crying my eyes out."

"Awww, what did she do?" He asked kissing her forehead.

"She popped a disco CD into the boom box and we danced in the bubbles. Once I tired myself out she got out the shop vac and went to town, the next day we got a new dishwasher. Luckily the floor was ceramic tile."

..

…

"Elliot took the blame the time we snuck my dad's new custom titanium Ping driver to the pier to hit balls into the water. I swung too hard, let go of the club and it just _sailed_ into the Sound. He was punished for three _whole_ weeks but would not let me tell – he just said it was what a big brother was for."

"That's so sweet." She said kissing his neck as they snuggled closer having moved from the kitchen to the sofa.

..

…

"…I _literally_ had to go to her work with the car salesman and steal that ratty old minivan, which I 'traded' for the new truck – that thing was being held together by paper clips and used chewing gum, and she _still_ did not want to let it go."

Before Ray gave Ana the check for her work with the accounting software, she had tried to convince her mother that she should keep the _much_ newer used Honda for herself, she had planned to put a down payment on a decent car leaving her mom with the more reliable vehicle. GEH was just a few miles from her new apartment after all, she would not mind taking the bus for a while.

..

…

"…that was the reason I spent all of my time working on my business plan, I knew I was going to run my own company, but I wanted my dad to be happy – I…I was incredibly homesick."

Ana played with his soft but unruly hair as he opened up about what he _really_ felt being away at Harvard and GEH's origins. Christian admitted he was there for all of the wrong reasons, despite working his ass off to get there. After his first year, he presented his father and grandfather with his business plan and they had thrown their support _and_ money behind his idea for GEH. Not until he paid them back double their investment and paid off his parent's mortgage within twenty one months, did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.

..

…

"…I did… _feel_ love for him, my mother's memories, the stories and pictures were enough for me to love my father, but you can't feel love in return from a photo on a mantle, no matter how much you want to, for me it mostly just felt sad."

Christian pulled her closer, entwining their fingers. Ana had not necessarily missed having a father, because she could not possibly miss what she never had – she mostly missed and loved her father based on her mother's memories and feelings. It would have been very different if she had memories of her own, this is the reason she clung so hard to her mother, in the absence of a father, Carla had been her everything.

..

…

"…that's an easy one, for me its 1984 – it should be required reading to all high schoolers…"

Ana remembered feeling terrified of O'brien when she read that book the summer she graduated middle school, but considering the overall themes of freedom through thought and anti-utopian societal dogmas, it made sense that Christian would find great appreciation in the themes espoused in the book.

..

...

"…never! I never order from any online retailer unless I get free shipping, I might as well use my gas to go pick it up if I did that. In addition to that I make it a practice to shop from Ebates participating sites – every little bit helps."

..

…

"…my favorite color is blue, the color of your eyes."

"…oh Chris, be serious.

"I am."

..

…

….

"Katie, this place is such a _mess_ , your allowance would more than cover a regular cleaning service you know?"

Eamon chides, looking around the living room of his daughter's new apartment. The coffee table is littered with pizza and Chinese take-out boxes along with unopened mail and magazines.

Kate never wanted to move into this rat hole in the first place. She would make an effort to tidy up if he had bought her a place at Escala like she asked in the first place.

"How are things going with Ana and her new job at GEH, is she here?"

Kate knew this would come up, but she was not quite ready to tell her parents that Ana had moved out and on up to _Escala_ she had learned – thankfully Ana's rent check went to _her_ every month, so she did not have to come up with a cover story to tell her parents, she had covered her tracks when she tossed out the letter of apology Ana left for her dad. Did she really think she would give that to him – even if she did lie saying she was moving for other reasons, her dad would know it was bullshit and she would have to explain why perfect little Ana would want to move out.

All she heard from her father after she made the mistake of bringing that little charity case, broke bitch home to meet her family was how great Ana was. "Now that is the kind of girl you should hang out with." "Ana is truly amazing, I am so glad you are finally getting serious about your future, she is a great influence." Blah, blah blah! Everyone fell for her little act – she was no nun, that much was obvious from the fact that she fucked that love sick loser Jose on her sofa – those few drops of Absinthe in her drink had done the trick, loosened her right on up she thought to herself. Ana had mistakenly believed Kate had passed out drunk, it was the perfect time to get the proof she needed that little Miss Goody Two Shoes was not so pristine – she was disappointed when she realized that not only had her phone fallen on its face and not videoed the encounter but also, the only sound that had been recorded was from the stupid television she had unsuccessfully mounted it on.

Her parents had even taken Ana's side against Ethan the year before, when they discovered he had pursued Ana, while dating Melanie. Her dad had actually chastised _him_! It wasn't his fault Ana didn't bother to ask him if he had a girlfriend, _stupid bitch_.

"She is spending Labor Day weekend with her mother." Was Kate's clipped response to Ana's biggest fan.

She was telling the truth, just not the _whole_ truth. She remembered Ana gushing about her mother's visit, going on and on about the three of them spending girl time together, having a sleepover like they were fucking ten years old. Pretending to be interested in hanging out with Ana was bad enough but having to share her space with her irritating mother with her clothes from Kohl's and corny farmer's market stories was more than anyone should have to suffer through. She remembered when Ana's mother had given her a tin of homemade ginger cookies as a Christmas gift to share with her family after her parents had gifted she and Ana with spa services, _expensive_ spa services at the best spa in Vancouver. _Cheap bitch,_ she gave them to the loser that detailed her car and stared at her tits, he actually thought it meant she liked him. It was either the letch or she would have thrown them in the trash – same difference. She had put up with this girl for years and years, and just when it was going to pay off for her, the bitch goes and fucks the man of her dreams.

"Oh, that sounds nice, what did you do this weekend other than eat junk and _not_ clean up?" Her father asked sardonically.

"I went clothes shopping and hung out with Jenna and Danni."

"I see. Well I guess I am a bit relieved that Ana is not at home because I have to talk to you about a few things." Eamon said as he set aside some of the empty shopping bags littering his daughter's sofa.

"Katie, there is no easy way to talk to you about this, so I am just going to get right to the heart of the matter – if you continue to blow off work, I will have to fire you…"

"But Dad! I haven't blown off…"

"Stop it Katie! You have been employed by Kavanaugh Media for eight weeks and according to your supervisors and time records, you have worked a _total_ of eighty hours, that is two weeks of work out of eight. The rest of those six weeks you have either not shown up for work at all – _without calling,_ or you have shown up late, left early or both - in all that averages to just over thirteen hours per week. This _cannot_ continue. I have no choice here, I have had enough. You were given a position of importance with a decent starting salary. Not only do you have subordinates who require direction from you, you are also accountable to your supervisors and to date, you have failed at all of your directives and not completed _any_ of your assigned tasks."

"Why do I have to work there anyway?" Kate pouts.

"Because that is what people do Katie girl – they _work_ for a living – how do you think you and your brother have all that you have – I have worked hard to give you all of the advantages you needed to help you both succeed, it was meant to be a leg up in life, _not_ a lifestyle. You have enjoyed more wants than most could ever dream of, but I feel I may have given you too much, you have no work ethic and no qualms about being supported for the rest of your life it seems, so _this_ is what is going to happen. You are required to work a _minimum_ of forty hours per week, _every_ week or you not only have find a way to pay your rent, but also your allowance will be completely cut off, along with your credit cards and your graduation present will be returned to the dealer."

Kate cannot believe this is her father talking to her like this – he's usually just happy she will give him the time of day. _Wuss_. What a beautiful woman like her mother ever saw in him is a mystery, _fucking boy scout_.

"Oh really? I think Mom will have a _little_ something to say about that." She says in a moment of false bravado.

"Do you _now_? Well considering she was served with divorce papers this morning I can honestly say I don't give a _shit_ what the soon to be _ex_ Mrs. Kavanaugh thinks."

He says, his eyes boring into his daughter's. In that moment he had to face what he had never wanted to – though Katherine had his eyes and skin coloring, she was her mother's child. He had been shocked to learn two months ago after receiving his daughter's anxiously awaited writing samples that something was amiss with all of her so called accomplishments. Her writing had reminded him of a poorly written middle school essay, he was confused and disheartened given he had bragged about her academic acumen to anyone that would allow to him drone on and on about his kick ass daughter that would someday sit at the helm of KM. He had been devastated to learn through the P.I. he hired about his wife using his money and family name to peddle influence to convert his daughter into a paragon of scholarship and model citizenry. It had been her sloppy affair with WSU's dean of students that finally alerted him to his wife's and daughter's deception concerning her grades, and though his daughter was clearly aware of and enjoying the fruits of his wife's duplicitous deeds, he nonetheless did not view her as irredeemable.

"What are you talking about, you would never divorce Mom!" She yells at her father.

"I can and I will. But _that_ , is between your mother and I, I still want to be there for you Katie girl, you just have to make an effort to do better, please."

Eamon begs his daughter to make an effort. The conversation with Ethan had been a disaster initially but he soon listened to reason. Ethan and Katie were his children and he loved them deeply – his attorneys had prepared in advance with safeguards to shield him from his wife's retaliation and that included her ability to use his children against him. The family money, homes, insurance policies and business interests would go to his sister, a renowned cardiothoracic surgeon who lives in Maine in the event something should happen to him. His wife would receive a nominal settlement, but the pre-nuptial agreement she signed all those years ago was iron clad with respect to infidelity and _that_ proof was irrefutable.

"I promise, I will do better." Kate shrugged, as her father pulled her into a hug, squeezing her tightly.

She had no intention of following his orders, that is not how this worked she thought. She had to bide her time while she figured out what she would do next. It seems no one had been alerted to Ian's death, but that would not always be the case – by the time that happened, she would have a firm plan in place to be far away from Seattle _and_ suspicion. She would have to hang around at a maximum six months to save up money and collect a few more measly paychecks while she researched U.S. extradition treaties. Sure _Dad_ , I'll play your game, for now she thought.

..

…

….

Ana had left Christian's place about two hours earlier to see her mother and Ray off after the two had stayed up practically all night talking, _just talking_.

Christian was in awe of his girlfriend, the way she made him feel even more authentically himself than he did when he was with his family. With his family he always put forth an heir of calm, whether he was troubled by something or not, he had begun this method of hiding away his feelings during the whole Elena Lincoln debacle. Enveloped in the safety of her caring nature, with Ana he could lay himself bare without judgment or pity. He had never spent a more satisfying evening with anyone, _even_ _with_ sex on the menu. Last night he had learned more about Ana and revealed more about himself than he had with all of his former girlfriends combined.

..

…

"Come in." He bellowed from behind the desk of his home office where he went to catch up on work after Ana left.

"Sir."

"Yes, Taylor."

"Alex and I have been digging – and we need to rethink Kavanaugh…"

"No! Fuck that! Barney has been accessing all of his …"

"Sir, you need to see this!" Taylor says raising his voice but purely for effect, sometimes Grey could be too bullheaded for his own good and this was one of those times for sure he surmised. He knew his boss was making an emotional decision and that would be bad for business and for everyone concerned.

"Fine, what is it?"

..

…

….

"Ana, I need to talk to you about something – and I hate doing this after such a wonderful weekend, but I want talk to you about the Kavanaughs."

"Its okay Chris though I am a bit unsure of how much I can tell you."

"After the Nooz article, I had begun to put some very specific plans in motion for the destruction of both the Seattle Nooz _and_ Kavanaugh Media."

"I understand the Nooz, but why Kavanaugh?" Ana asks surprised by the idea of ruining Mr. Kavanaugh because of what Kate had done.

"Because of Ms. Kavanaugh's behavior of course…"

"Wait, because of his daughter, you were planning to destroy his business?"

"In a nutshell." Christian stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh, Chris, that's terrible, you _cannot_ do that." Ana remarked sorrowfully yet emphatically.

"Well fortunately the people that I put on making that sort of thing happen always do their due diligence. But I need to know your impression of the man."

"Why _now_ Chris, you put your 'people' on it without consulting with me before, why do you give a shit what I think now?" She snaps angrily.

"You…you're right Ana I should have talked to you about this – I saw how much the article hurt you and I wanted to lay waste to anyone involved. I let my emotions get the better of me." He lamented sincerely.

Ana's anger quickly melted away – they needed to talk conflict resolution and good communication, but that was a discussion for another day.

"Listen Chris, if we are going to be together – we both are going to have to develop thicker skin. You cannot just go around ruining people who say bad things about me or the people who happen to be close to them." She says placing a chaste kiss on his lips.

"I was initially upset about the article, mainly because it made me sound like my interest in you was calculated and…I don't know… _dirty_ – but deep down I know who I am and I don't really care what other people _think_ they know about me. I have receipts." She says curling her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck.

Christian feels comforted by this.

"To answer your question, Eamon Kavanaugh is a good man, his wife and children? Not so much."

"Well it turns out Mr. Kavanaugh has filed for divorce from his wife."

"What?!" Ana responds incredulously.

"Yes. It's true, apparently she was having an affair with the dean of students at WSU."

"So it wasn't Eamon who paid for Kate's _class standing_?"

"No. From what we have been able to glean from the court filings, he had been having her surveilled for some time now and there was voluminous evidence of multiple affairs and syphoning of money to offshore accounts. Eamon is a very smart man and knew something was amiss when money started missing from household accounts and their children's trust funds. An insider at Kavanaugh Media provided information indicating that Ms. Kavanaugh was in danger of losing her job as well."

"How on earth is that possible? It is her father's company, she told me things were going well despite some misgivings about the entry level nature of her job."

"Entry level _my ass_! Baby, she is a liar – she was put in charge of a division of ten fact checkers, she is a _supervisor_ Ana, pulling in about eighty thousand dollars a year – she lied about everything including her responsibilities and salary. Apparently her poor attitude and work ethic are only eclipsed by her shitty attendance record. She literally goes in to the office at noon and leaves after lunch. She has been throwing her weight around and is basically an all-around terror wrapped in Gucci and the family name. Ms. Kavanaugh is reviled by her subordinates and supervisors alike, they basically threatened to walk out en masse unless something was done about her, I really do not see a scenario where she can continue to work for her father."

Ana just stared at Christian, this was a lot of information to process – where was Kate going all those mornings before she started to work at GEH, Kate would leave the apartment during those two weeks as if she were headed to work. This whole thing was just too bizarre for words. True enough Ana had been more warmly welcomed by Kate's father, he seemed to take a genuine interest in her studies and her plans for the future, Mrs. Kavanaugh on the other hand asked questions of a much more superficial nature – she was much more interested in where Ana shopped, as she looked over her disapprovingly. Ana just dismissed it as snobbery and nothing more. Mr. Kavanaugh, in spite of being able to ignore glaring deficiencies in those he loved genuinely loved his children and wanted the best for them. Even though Ana felt terribly for Eamon, she could not help but wonder why he was so oblivious to what was going on with his wife and children, perhaps he was deliberately obtuse. Regardless of the reason, he in no way deserved what Christian had in store for him.

"Well, I am sure by now that Eamon knows I no longer live with her, I left a note with Kate informing him that I accepted a corporate housing benefit and wanted to try living on my own."

"So even after the way she treated you, you still protected she and her father from the truth of the nightmare that _is_ his daughter?"

"I didn't think of it that way, I just wanted to break it off clean without any drama and move on with my life."

"I can understand that, how very magnanimous of you – but if you think for one minute Ms. Kavanaugh actually _gave_ her father that note, I have bridge I would like to sell you." Christian smirked with a raised eyebrow.

"Why not, there was nothing incriminating or critical of her in that note, what would be the point of keeping it from him?"

"Because she is likely holding off on telling him you moved out – he probably rented that place for her on condition you become her roommate, you told me yourself he used to say what a good influence you were on his daughter. And tell me this, how were your rent and utility payments made and to whom?

"I just wrote the check to…"

"To...?"

"To Kate." Ana admitted feeling really silly.

"Most likely a sweetener for her agreement to live with you. She would collect rent every month from you and spend it on…"

"Partying and clothes." Ana interrupted.

"Lately she had been talking about getting her boobs done, _again_. She even considered applying for one of those cheesy reality show makeover things where people complain that their prior surgery did not turn out perfectly."

"I think you should contact Eamon Kavanaugh." Christian implores.

"I think you're right."

..

…

….

"Mother, what the hell are you doing here?" Kate asked rolling her eyes.

"I live here now."

"What? No! Why?" She yells in horror.

"Because that little mousey bitch called your father and told him everything about your stalking of Christian Grey and her moving out – he served me with divorce papers yesterday and he kicked me out of our home. He told me he would continue to pay your rent, but only if you honor your work contract and I…I have to find a job as well, he's given me one month." Joyce Kavanaugh prattled in annoyance.

"I did _not_ stalk him! And, Ana decided to move out for her own reasons."

"It does not matter, because if you do not continue to work forty full hours a week, _every_ week, in addition to my finding a job, we will be kicked out of this tiny little shoe box and you will lose your allowance."

"What difference does it make, we can live off of your divorce settlement, we will be able to live somewhere beautiful, you can take Dad for every dime he's worth."

" _We_ Kate?! My _tiny_ settlement is contingent on my getting a job to supplement my income. _Our_ continuing to live here is contingent upon you _keeping_ your job."

"Why is your settlement tiny? I don't get it! What the _fuck_ is going on?!"

"Do _not_ take that tone with me Kate! I am still your mother, and perhaps if I had not had to make such huge sacrifices for your education, neither of us would be in this situation."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"That means _little girl_ , that I have carried on with this brilliant daughter farce for years – and now you need to take care of me. Do you really believe that in spite of almost never attending classes, you actually graduated summa cum laude without my _considerable_ help?!" She yelled.

"I don't know what the hell you are talking about, but you _cannot_ stay here! There is barely enough room here for _my_ things!"

"You little ingrate, you do not have any choice in the matter. I let that loser touch me for you, I did everything…"

"What are you talking about?! I'm calling Ethan right now." Kate interrupted.

"I am talking about that slime ball dean of students I let have his way with me…for you!"

"Oh please! I _may_ have benefitted from you getting slimed but I have known what you were up to for years! Do _not_ blame that on me – because I did not force you on your back, that was _your_ choice!"

Joyce steps forward and slaps Kate across the face, hard. Kate stands there in stunned disbelief, unable to grasp that her mother just hit her. No one had _ever_ hit her before.

"Now you listen to me _very_ carefully, you mind numbingly stupid little tramp. You. Are. Out. Of. Options. We either do this together or we are both royally and completely fucked! If you think your brother is on your side, think again little girl – Ethan is team Eamon all the way. Your father told him everything and told him to choose…"

This was an embellishment of brilliance, Joyce thought, after all it was she who used info she had learned about Ethan through snooping to make him believe Kate had betrayed his trust. She also told him that Kate had been in on the trust fund thefts, a little icing on the insurance cake, she thought. Joyce believed they were too close anyway, it was strange.

"Ethan would never choose Dad over me, you are such a liar!" Kate screamed, Ethan loved her unconditionally – he would never turn his back on her.

"He would and he did, once he learned about the money I took from your trust funds he…"

"You did WHAT!?" Kate yelled unable to believe her ears.

"Oh grow up! There was no reason to set money aside like ninety nine percenters, KM is worth billions! So what I syphoned off a few thousand here and there. None of that is either here nor there now, because your father moved whatever remained in your account to replace what was taken from Ethan's and will continue to pay for his education and living expenses. He told Ethan about my indiscretions and your brother is no longer speaking to me."

"So what!? That has nothing to do with me. Ethan would never…"

"Ethan knows that you have been lying to him about school and work. That you tossed him under the bus with that Ana thing – that you told Eamon all about the two tramps he got pregnant in Portland, and most importantly he believes you were helping me, to drain his trust fund…"

"But I didn't know _anything_ about that, and you and Dad know it! I never, _ever_ told Dad about those girls, I..."

"In the words of my loquacious daughter. _So what_?" Joyce interrupted.

With that Joyce leaves the room, lugging her Louis Vuitton duffle bag to her new room.

 **..**

 **...**

 **A/N: Not to worry, it won't take too long to find Ian's body. Please let me know your thoughts.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

..

…

….

"Look, it is not against the law for adults to take off and not tell anyone, it happens _all_ the time lady. I am sure your son is just blowing off steam somewhere – you said it yourself, he lost his job and was in danger of being sued by some big shot." The desk sergeant groused dismissively.

"I know all of that – the problem is I only know about what was going on with his job because I got in touch with his boss, Ian would have called us and told us what happened, that is why I know something is _terribly_ wrong. I am just asking for help to enter his apartment, his car is missing from the parking lot of his complex and his phone goes straight to voicemail. It is unlike him not to check on his father – he takes him for dialysis on alternate days and he has not called or answered his phone in almost _three_ weeks, I am telling you – something is wrong." Helen Skinner pleaded.

"Alright, fine. We will send a unit over to his apartment building, you will have to meet them there along with the super or building manager, understood?"

"Yes, thank you."

Helen Skinner knew something was wrong – she knew before her son's building super opened the door and the overwhelming odor hit her that something _had_ to be wrong if her son Ian had not called in over two weeks. She fell to her knees and had to be assisted outside as she was not allowed to enter the apartment while police determined what was going on. She was later told it would be some time before she could enter the apartment as it had been declared a crime scene.

..

…

….

"What are you doing two Fridays from now?" Ray asked handing Carla a package of Twizzlers and placing the bowl of hot buttered popcorn on the coffee table of his media room.

Ray and Carla were dressed in their pajamas and slipper socks as they enjoyed a relaxing Saturday afternoon of lazing and watching movies – they had chosen the Godfather trilogy for a couple of reasons. One, they both loved the movies, and secondly since they had both seen them many times they wouldn't be missing anything should they become... _distracted_.

"That popcorn smells sooo good. I don't know what I'm doing that day, why?"

"I thought we could go to the courthouse and get married." Ray says grabbing a handful of popcorn.

"What?" Carla asked barely above a whisper.

"You heard me _woman_." Ray laughs, pulling the ring box from his pocket.

"I'm not a big words guy Carla – but I do know I love you, and I want to be with you. We're old enough to know what we want, and I want you with me every damn day. Will you marry me?"

"Yes. I love you too Ray." Carla replied tearing up.

Ray placed the two carat solitaire set in platinum on her left ring finger and pulled her in for a kiss that rendered them both breathless.

"You're serious about two weeks from Friday?" Carla asked after they finished making out like teenagers.

"Damn straight, we have to go and get a license and it takes a week."

"I figure we could get married on your lunch break and then head to a bed and breakfast over the border until Sunday afternoon and then back to work on Monday. We can have a big reception _shebang_ once we have time to plan one – but I don't want to wait for all of that – I hate not waking up with you every morning."

"About that – where are we going to live?" Carla owned her home outright and could not imagine leaving _or_ selling it for that matter.

"I thought about this – and I would like for you to move in here, but I know you want to keep your house, so how about we talk to Caroline about renting your house?"

..

…

….

"She walks around here like she owns the place now, clearly she was _pretending_ to be nice at first."

"Oh Leila that is _not_ true, Ana is a lovely person, I enjoy working for her very much, she is tough – but very fair and she _knows_ her shit." Ana hears her assistant Hannah and who she now realizes is Leila Williams one of the staff accountants talking about her just as she was about to enter the expansive supply cubicle.

The article in the Nooz had been bad enough, but after Christian had flown her to Portland for dinner at the fabulous Beast restaurant for her birthday – where they had been spotted and photographed, they became an internet sensation of sorts, well at least as far as Seattle residents were concerned anyway.

She had been surprised the day before her birthday when she received six round suede boxes of Eternity Roses by _Venus Et Fleur_ in pink, white, purple, yellow, blue and red, all designed and packaged to last for an entire year. She stood there listening while fingering the diamond bracelet Christian had given her as a birthday present – she had to reach out to her mother because she felt so weird accepting such an extravagant gift – she had been stunned when her mother told her to get used to it as part of dating a man of means and to be mindful of his feelings. Her mom had also shared that Ray was incredibly generous and she had to make adjustments as well.

"You're just saying that because she likes _you_ – she is _so_ snobby to everyone else." Ana is jolted from her wonderful memories to this nonsense with Leila.

"Funny, you seemed to like her before you learned she was dating Mr. Grey, you are just jealous."

"That is _not_ true, I…"

"Oh please! Everyone in this department knows you have been trying to get Mr. Grey's attention since the day you started working here. The way you push out your chest and get all breathless when he visits the floor is just embarrassing." Hannah chides.

"Well, I do not deny that I find him attractive, I have _eyes_ Hannah – I haven't done anything wrong."

"Oh no? Leila, I am incredibly observant, I have seen you attempt to cozy up to his security staff to get info on his schedule but they shut you out, I wouldn't be surprised if you were on some proscribed list of annoying, desperate chicks." Hannah adds with a smirk.

"That is _such_ a lie…"

"Is it? Like the time you just happened to end up at Mirage when he and his brother were there?" Hannah queries before lowering the boom.

"Did you or did you _not_ tell Tammie that you overheard his assistant Olivia mention that she needed to make a reservation there for a Friday night, while in line at the café? Yes, you said you were _devastated_ when he walked past you as if you were one of the barstools – cubicles have no doors Leila and they are open at the top by the way." Hannah points to the top of the cubicle they now occupy to illustrate her point.

"I…I…"

"Yeah, exactly. I suggest you stick to your job – their relationship is _none_ of your business, _or_ mine for that matter. Do yourself a favor and move on, it could only end terribly for you."

At that moment Ana made her presence known to Hannah and Leila. She already felt Hannah was a great assistant, she now knew she was also a friend.

"There I was poring over an endless list of my priorities for the week when I realized I was all out of Post-It notes. I guess when you're busy concentrating on actually _doing_ your job, you forget trivial minutiae." Ana remarks with first a smirk at Hannah and then glaring at Leila.

"Miss Lambert…"

"Save it." She quietly admonished before collecting her Post-Its and leaving the cubicle and a stunned Leila in her dust.

..

…

….

"Mia noooooo! How on earth do you get catfished in a Facebook group dedicated to fantasy couture design, and how does that work anyway?"

Ana and Mia were enjoying a girl's night – opting not to join Christian and Elliot for dinner and drinks at the Mile High to spend time getting to know each other better. Ever since Labor Day weekend they had been texting and had chatted a few times – Ana really liked Mia's bubbly personality and found her to be genuine and fun to be around. Neither Ana nor Mia had had much luck with friendships with women, so they found it comforting to spend time with someone with whom they had a lot in common.

After Christian and Elliot shared details of their encounters with Kate, she had spilled about her friendship with Kate. It was Mia that helped her to understand exactly who Kate was, according to Mia she had seen _her_ type a million times.

"True story. Turns out she had like three online identities, _that we know of_. The way it works is each designer uses bits and pieces of designs by famous designers, or just inspiration and sort of make them their own, while giving the original designer or designers credit of course – it was _supposed_ to be entertaining and fun."

"How did you find out she was not who she said she was."

"Well, it all started because soon after she joined the group – all of a sudden, there was _constant_ drama, drama she always seemed to be at the center of. I mean while the rest of us talked endlessly about our love of lesser known designers and artists she droned on and on about alleged nasty messages sent to her profile and the profiles of her friends.

Most of us ignored the incessant buzzing and kept on about our mission for being in the group in the first place, I mean it was _so_ high school. Suddenly some of us began getting criticized for our fashion interests and commentary – mostly those who were very popular, or getting the most likes and comments to our posts. The common denominator of course was this one chick – it was always happening to her _too_ and she seemed to know about it even though we were not bringing attention to what had basically become online bullying. The group stopped being about fashion and devolved into a forum for grievance and petty mean girl cliques. For a while it worked I guess if that was her mission – I am still not sure what motivated her, perhaps attention, who knows?

At any rate, I figured it out because we had a private chat once where she mentioned among her favorites was one designer in particular. I did not comment, but I thought that designer was a bit of an over embellisher, but rather than criticize a fellow designer I just shared with her designers _I_ liked instead of commenting negatively.

Eventually she came out with her fantasy line she called Ashe. When we asked about the name she simply stated she liked that spelling versus ash and that the name was fitting because of her love of earth tones – I thought nothing more of it, the line was decent, just not my cup of tea, I did not follow her line and she was not part of my all stars. It was preference not personal." Mia stated with a shrug of nonchalance.

The drama seemed to ratchet up after that with one of the other group members being accused of stealing designs and sending hate mail – causing a lot of the group to turn on her, she eventually pulled all of her designs and left the group altogether. I was very upset because she was _extremely_ talented – I reached out to her with words of encouragement, she responded, thanking me for my kind words but she never returned."

"Good lord, this makes those housewife shows sound tame in comparison, in terms of childish ass drama that is." Ana intoned, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I know right?" Mia shook her head.

"When I asked one of the group moderators if we could tone down the drama and stick to the art, I suddenly started receiving critical messages, nothing huge, just backhanded compliments, and then just outright criticism, I believe _designed_ to discourage me, no _pun_ intended. She had ingratiated herself into the group so thoroughly that even what was shared offline, by members wanting to opt out of the drama was somehow relayed to her. She was very clever – to a point."

"Wow."

"Wow is right. So I just ignored the petty comments, because I am awesome. But it made me wonder about the drama queen and what I found blew my mind. I decided to check out a few profiles, including the woman she named as her favorite designer and promoted frequently. That person while a part the group was almost always quiet and rarely engaged in the group discussions – while this person constantly promoted her when new members asked which designers they should check out. Turns out the person she told me was her favorite designer had children, and one of them was named…?"

"Ashe." Ana guessed, blown away by the level of crazy.

" _Same_ spelling. I knew then we'd all been had – I had Barney, Chris' IT guru do some digging around IP addresses and found out they were one in the same."

"That's _insaaaane_!" Ana laughed.

"Tell me about it!"

"Did you confront her?"

"Nope." Mia responds popping the p.

"Why not? I think I would have outed her at least."

"I told a few of the ladies I had grown close to and we laughed about her and swiftly moved on with our lives. Our _full and happy_ lives – to be perfectly honest I had not thought of her until you mentioned _your_ crazy, miserable assed friend. Besides, judging from her online _profiles_ her life was clearly trash, no need to compound her misery by exposing her for the mean spirited, hate filled troll that she is. My revenge is being happy."

"I think I didn't want to see Kate, or anyone for that matter as a bad person. I just could not fathom a person being so evil.

Oh well, enough about bitch trolls, what do you want to do tonight?" Ana asked feeling the need to fill her head with something other than thoughts of pathetic, disturbed women.

"Let's go Dimitrious Jazz Alley, it is literally just around the corner. We can listen to music, have a little dinner and a few cocktails – I started going to jazz clubs in Paris, the atmosphere is so chill, what do you think?"

So this is what a grown up friendship feels like, Ana thought to herself. Spending time with Mia was so effortless, she did not have to be on her toes at all times, she appreciated that Mia made an effort to build a friendship, and that in spite of the fact that she came from money, _lots of money_ \- she was incredibly down to earth. Ana now realized that she had been too eager to become friends with Kate, it was all part of her college immersion coming from a place of yes crap. With most of her friends attending college out of state she felt anxiety and rushed into the friendship without measured thought, it was one of the few times she did _not_ do the math.

"Sounds like a plan."

..

…

….

"You are _fucking_ kidding me!" Elliot quiet shouted incredulously.

All Christian could do was nod, he almost did not believe it himself.

"What has it been, like six weeks you two have been together and… _nothing_?"

"I never said _nothing_ , but as far as actual sex goes, we are taking it slow. And I know you of all people are not going to believe this, but I will wait until she is ready, no matter _how_ long it takes."

"You're right I don't believe you man, you love pussy more than I do and _that's_ a tall order. What have you two crazy kids been doing with your time?" Elliot teases.

Christian shook his head at his big brother, he was right, sex was just the thing to do in his past relationships – he honestly never gave it much thought. His experience with Elena likely caused him to be somewhat callous about the act, but in all fairness to his feelings about Ana, he just never wanted to do more than that before.

"We have been getting to know each other. I know for Elliot Grey, _Vagina Slayer_ the concept seems foreign, but we spend a lot of time just _talking_."

"Well I don't have to ask if you're attracted to her, I just don't know how you're doing it."

"Strangely I would not change a thing."

"I'm just fucking with you, you know that right – I am very happy for you Chris, someday I know I will meet _the one_. I can tell you two are very compatible, she's a bad ass."

"What the _hell_ does compatible mean as it relates to me?"

"You know exactly what it means, like Mia and I used to say when we were growing up, you would have a nerdy wife, with whom you could have little nerdy babies, and live in a nerdy house on Nerd Lane."

"Well considering being cool is primarily an adolescent preoccupation – I think I am okay with that." Christian smirks.

"Seriously man, the two of you are all books and figures, I'll bet she loves crosswords and the history channel."

Christian roars with laughter.

"Stop thinking you know me!" He playfully fusses at his big brother.

"Get real, you have dated successful women before, but from what we talked about they were no brain trusts and you _know_ this. Ana is your intellectual equal – and it doesn't hurt that she's hot as fuck!"

"Hey!..."

"Not blind." Elliot states pointing to himself.

"Keep those beady baby blues to yourself." Christian playfully admonishes.

"I am glad you two met for more reasons than one." Elliot says seriously.

"What does _that_ mean?"

"Well, when I look in the mirror after meeting _her_ – if I have _that_ look on my face – I will know it's real for one." He says pointing to Christian.

"What look!?"

"You look content and peaceful. And I can't really put my finger on it – but you're actually more youthful somehow. You have no idea how long it has been since I have seen you laugh with the family. Dude you were frolicking."

"I do _not_ frolick." Christian scoffs.

"Yeah okay."

Christian checks his text messages and shows him a text from Ana.

"I had no idea our little sister was into jazz, who knew?"

"I did, she sent me a lot of tracks of local jazz musicians during her time in Paris. I am very glad Ana and Mia are becoming friends – both could use some genuine female companionship. Kate and Lily were like a fucking two headed demon, they deserve it."

Elliot starts laughing.

" _Do not_ say it."

"I can't help it – every time I see that girl I think about her climbing into your bed naked and grabbing your dick only to wind up slammed to the floor after a vicious punch to the nose. I mean, shit I never want to see a woman get hit, but that shit was funny as hell."

Christian had never talked about this with Elliot before because he could never understand why he wouldn't just fuck Lily but Christian knew if he did that it would have been like feeding a stray cat he would never, ever get rid of. The truth of the matter was that in spite of the fact that Lily is a beautiful girl with a smoking body, she is a _terrible_ person. She is a spoiled entitled brat who threw herself at him shamelessly and it was a turn off as he hated that kind of aggression in women – especially those with whom he had nothing in common and no chance for any kind of meaningful dialogue.

"I freaked the hell out – I mean I was kind of still drunk, not to mention asleep and she grabbed my junk and was working me up before I fully grasped what was happening, then she tried to mount me. I woke up and just took a wild swing and kicked her off of the bed. For a moment I had no idea where the hell I was I forgot we were all at Mom and Dad's – I did not mean to hurt her, but…"

It finally dawns on Elliot… _Elena._

"Shit."

"No, don't do that." Christian admonishes.

"No Chris, I'm sorry, I never thought about _why_ you flipped out. I guess I thought you were fully over all of that."

"I am now, but I did have nightmares for a while."

"How come you never told me about that?"

"I honestly don't know – I think I wanted, no I _needed_ for everyone to move past it so I could. I didn't want you all to worry about me. _Especially_ you." Christian emphasized.

"If I had told Mom and Dad that she made me uncomfortable, it would have never happened to you…"

"Don't do that, she was responsible for her behavior, and you only had a feeling – she never did anything overt so…" Christian interrupted.

"Yes, but…our parents would have been vigilant in checking her out and would have never let you anywhere near her."

"Maybe. Doesn't matter, you are not to blame, and I don't have nightmares anymore."

"Suzanne."

"What about her?"

"She's headed this way."

Great, that's all I need Christian thought with a deep sigh.

..

…

….

"I'm so glad you suggested coming here – it's so relaxing."

"I'm glad you like it."

"I can tell Chris really likes you a lot." Mia beams.

"Well I hope so because he is incredible, and I enjoy what we have, very much."

"Good, it is nice to see my brother happy for a change. I mean I know he has everything he could ever want materially, but Chris is always so buttoned down and stuffy. He is so young, but acts like an old fuddy duddy – I haven't seen _this_ Chris since we were kids. It's nice." Mia beams.

Ana giggled at the notion of Christian being a fuddy duddy. He was so present with her – he seemed to savor every moment, he made her feel… _alive_.

"While I doubt she would use the words fuddy duddy, I think my mother likely feels the same about me – she has always genuinely worried about my making friends, she felt as though I was all work and no play."

"Well that sounds like the two of you are perfectly matched. Ana I heard my brother belly laughing repeatedly for the first time in a very long time, he worries constantly about GEH and its forty thousand employees, and while I think that is still the case, I recognize that he is on his way to finding both happiness and balance and that is because of you. I am grateful." Mia states emphatically reaching out and squeezing Ana's hand in gratitude.

"Oh Mia, I think you are giving me much too much credit…"

"Trust me Ana." She interrupts.

"It is _all_ about you." She adds with a wink.

The two budding friends sit back and enjoy Norman Brown's performance while sipping cheesecake martinis and taking a few selfies to send to Christian and of course for Mia's Instagram.

They call it a night and head back to Escala where Mia is spending the night at her brother's place since she has an early spa appointment in the morning at the Four Seasons.

..

…

….

"Your father is being an absolute asshole about this whole thing. Your allowance and bullshit salary is not enough for the two of us to live off of."

"Well you would have had access to a lot more if you had not decided to fuck the dean…"

"You ungrateful little tramp, if I _hadn't_ screwed that moron, you would not be a college graduate. With honors I might add."

"Oh, please! You did him because that is what you wanted, do not try to make this mess you are in my fault. You are the reason Ethan will not even take my damn calls. You ruined us!"

"Whatever Kate, you aren't one to talk, you threw yourself at Jack Dorsey even though you knew he had a girlfriend – he flew you out to California and had fun with you for a weekend then tossed you aside. After that it was Steve Huffman right? Same story – the only thing those two have in common is neither ever was even seen with you in public. You were really racking them up and you weren't even nineteen yet…"

Kate stood in stunned silence wondering just how her mother knew of her escapades. She had been both hurt and disappointed at how things turned out, especially with Jack Dorsey, she was sure they had made a connection but after their weekend together the phone number he used to contact her was disconnected. Steve Huffman had met her at her hotel after she breezed into town on her own dime and dm'd him shots of her breasts. After he screwed her hard and fast, she had been devastated when he went to the gift shop to buy toiletries and did not return.

"Oh, you thought no one knew!? Stupid little girl. Christian Grey has you on a proscribed list – and if it was not for that little wallflower you once lived with you would have never found yourself in the same room with him, he thinks you are pure trash. You put in all that time just to get him to look your way and where did that get you, he chose the bookworm and from what I can tell he seems to really like her."

"You could always live elsewhere _Joyce_." Kate chastised.

"When are you going to get it through your thick skull little girl, I am all you have and vice versa." Joyce groaned giving Kate a stern look.

"Now, write a check for the cleaning service, they will be here in the morning while you are at work."

"I never agreed to pay for that, I don't make…"

"Get over yourself! You either write the damn check or get to cleaning, this place smells like ass."

..

…

….

"This is Ethan, leave a message."

"Ethan, please you have to believe me – I had no _idea_ what Mom was doing. She cheated on Dad and I…I, please Ethan, I miss you – I don't have anyone, you _know_ how horrible she is. Please call me Ethan. I need you."

Kate sobbed, as she left Ethan yet another voicemail message. She felt horrible that she had told her mother about the two girls that Ethan had impregnated, she had no idea her mother was gathering data to be used against her.

..

…

….

"Yes?" Ana called out after the light tapping outside her door.

"Ms. Lambert, my apologies, Hannah is not at her desk…"

"How may I help you Ms. Williams?"

"I just wanted to come by and apologize for the other day, I was way out of line. There was no call to speak about you in that way, I…"

Ana had noticed just how coolly some of the staffers had regarded her once the news broke about her relationship with Christian, Leila had been one of those staffers. She was not at all surprised by the supply cubicle commentary, she had grown accustomed to pettiness…sadly.

"Let me just stop you right there Ms. Williams and let you know that I have zero interest in an apology you would not be making had I _not_ overheard your conversation."

Leila began looking green around the gills. Ana could tell she was visibly shaken, but gave her a little credit for having the guts to at least make an attempt to confront the situation.

"My personal life does not affect my work – so I have very little understanding of why it is such a concern of _yours_." Ana had considered showing her mercy, but thought better of it.

"I had planned to meet with you later today to inform you that I have requested you be transferred to mergers and acquisitions..."

At this news Leila perked up, ever so slightly – after all, that meant reporting to Ros, who of course reports to Christian, _directly_.

"You will report to Bill Payne on the tenth floor beginning on Monday."

At that Leila's perkiness left the room. _Checkmate_.

"Bill Payne? Why not Ms. Bailey?"

"I spoke with Ms. Bailey and she does not want you in her group. It turns out Hannah is not the only one who has noticed your unprofessionalism as it relates to Mr. Grey. Ms. Bailey in fact recommended your termination. I however, felt your exceptional work deserved a second chance, Bill will not hesitate to get rid of you should you not perform well."

At this revelation Leila looked crestfallen.

"You should give Tina, Bill's assistant a call so that you can figure out logistics before next week."

Leila stood stunned by what had just transpired. Who the _fuck_ did she think she was? First they put this little bitch in charge of the long serving staff, now this – this was all her doing. On top of it all, she was fucking Christian Grey – one day…

"Was there anything else?"

Ana pulled Leila from her thoughts.

"Um. No…no. Thank you for your time."

Ana nodded as Leila turned and walked out of her office door, nearly colliding with Christian on the way out. Ana wanted to laugh out loud as Leila lowered her head and practically ran away, after Christian scoffed at the near miss.

"Hey baby." He said kissing her cheek.

"Ready for lunch?"

"Yes, I am starving."

..

…

….

"So why would they need to talk to me? I have never even been in the same room with Ian Skinner."

"Well, apparently he told his parents that you were quote 'gunning for him' and that you had a lot of influence and he was afraid."

"Bullshit!"

"Of course it is – but they have to speak with you as a matter of protocol sir." Taylor informed Christian.

"Fine."

..

…

"Mr. Grey, Detective Polk, thank you for seeing me today."

"Certainly, no problem. Please, have a seat."

"Can you tell us where you were on the evening of September third?" No foreplay, just straight to banging Christian thought uncharitably. It was clear Detective Polk wanted to get the hell out of his building as soon as possible.

"I was at my parent's home in Bellevue from about three in the afternoon, until about eleven that evening. I was there for their end of summer party – afterwards I returned home to Escala with my girlfriend and her mother, and we did not leave until the next morning when we met my family for brunch."

"Your girlfriend is Ms. Anastasia Lambert?"

"That is correct."

"And her mother is Carla Lambert?"

"Correct."

"Have you ever had direct contact with Ian Skinner?"

"Never, I spoke with his editor, David Ryan."

"Why did you contact his editor?"

"Because of the article Mr. Skinner wrote concerning my relationship with my girlfriend."

"Why was the article problematic for you?

"The article while not necessarily problematic for either Ms. Lambert or myself in any _tangible_ way was insulting and potentially libelous. Mr. Skinner was attempting to tarnish my girlfriend's reputation and mine adjacently. I would rather not repeat the details of the article – my head of security will provide you a copy should you require it."

"That won't be necessary, we received that information from Mr. Ryan."

"What was the outcome of the discussion with Mr. Ryan?" Detective Polk inquired.

Christian failed to understand how any of this was connected to him – he had never even met the guy, sure enough he was ultimately responsible for him losing his job, but he had nothing to do with his murder.

"The site printed a retraction and an apology, that same night in fact. I completed the purchase of the site a few days ago and have sold off the pieces."

Detective Polk was taken aback, he wondered why he felt the need to take it that far if this Ryan guy had handled it.

"Why did you shut the site down?"

"I believe in a free press, but I do not believe in a fictional press. Organizations such as the Nooz cause harm to people and unfortunately most people have no recourse because they lack the resources to fight, and while they have written _many_ unkind and speculative articles about me in the past, this time they went too far and in this case an apology would not suffice."

"I see."

Polk knew this thing was a waste of time, but he had been admonished for leaving Grey out of his report altogether, and they were becoming desperate because there were no leads whatsoever.

The autopsy had shown that Skinner had died around nine in the evening on the third of September. He had sustained one fatal stab wound to the neck that nicked his carotid artery – but it was clear that he had taken a beating before his death.

The coroner found the bruising on his body curious in that it seemed to have been very precise given the blows were landed in places that would have caused him excruciating pain likely meaning he would have lost consciousness at some point given the severity of the bruising of his liver, sternum and his scrotum. The fatal wound however did not appear to happen at around the same time of the beating as the victim's body showed bruising. Dr. Baden determined that he had sustained a beating and then was killed hours later by what appeared to be a hap hazard stab wound.

Further, Dr. Baden stated that whomever, struck Skinner's artery was considerably shorter than him because the wound's trajectory was from an upward stabbing motion. Skinner was about five foot ten, so the coroner determined the person who stabbed him stood about five foot five at the most, most likely female. He further determined that the severity of the bruising to his liver could not have been inflicted by a woman, even one well versed in martial arts.

Police were desperate to solve this one and get Skinner's parents off their backs, they had gone to the news media, they were angry but wisely stopped short of accusing Grey of being involved after the coroner's findings were shared as well as being shown time stamped Instagram photos of Grey and Ms. Lambert along with his family and security in the background on the day their son died. Helen Skinner in particular was a pain in the ass, and although her son was a real sleaze ball, he deserved justice as much as the next guy.

The only promising lead was a number he called on the day of his murder, seemingly in the right time frame – the number turned out to be a disposable phone and it was going to take some time to track down the owner. Fortunately they could use the number to find other numbers that it was used to call, hopefully those people could be contacted. It was not much – but it beat a dead end at this point.

..

…

….

Christian and Ana were sitting by the fireplace enjoying a quiet Saturday evening after finishing dinner.

"Dinner was great, I don't think I have had homemade chili since I lived at home."

"Thank you, it is one of my favorite one pot dishes to make." Ana said snuggling into Christian's side.

"Ana, it looks like you have not opened mail in a week." Christian said lifting the small stack of mail from her coffee table.

"I mostly get junk mail, so I don't pay attention to…"

Ana stopped mid-sentence when she noticed the light blue envelope with her name in beautiful script, with the name Steele along with a Vancouver address on the flap.

"Oh my god!" Ana squealed, making Christian jump.

"What is it?"

"You and I are invited to a wedding reception." Ana giggled with glee.

"Oh yeah, one of your friends got married?"

"You could say that." She grinned.

"The invitation is from Mr. and Mrs. Steele, Mr. and Mrs. _Raymond_ Steele."

"Wow, that's fantastic." Christian smiled, genuinely happy for Carla and Ray.

"I _cannot_ believe Mom eloped!" Ana remarked already dialing her mom with the phone on speaker.

"Well it took you long enough." Came Carla's voice over the speaker.

"Mom! You eloped! – Congratulations, I am sooo happy for you two! When did you get married? What did you wear?"

Carla giggled at Ana's excitement.

"Okay one thing at a time. First, thank you, we are _very_ happy, secondly, we got married last Friday and third it was casual Friday and we got married on my lunch hour and I went right back to work."

Ana was floored by the admission.

"Don't worry Nana we will be all dressed up for our reception in three weeks. We are going to take a honeymoon for about two weeks after that, but Ray will not tell me where we are going – I have been waiting for two days for you to open that invite, Nana you have to open your mail _every_ day." Carla laughed.

Ray talked to Christian in advance of the invite being sent to ask for his help – after Carla explained to him that Ana would often grab the mail and place it down, but fail to read or look through it, even when she was expecting a letter or mailing. Since Ana paid bills online, she usually just received junk mail which she waited to pile up, Carla knew her baby girl well.

Christian had taken the opportunity to offer Ray his private jet for their honeymoon and after some prodding Ray finally agreed, he so looked forward to taking Carla to Europe for their honeymoon, and could not wait to surprise her.

"So Mom, what is the color scheme, what do you want me to wear? Have you found _the_ dress? The invitations are just beautiful that shade of blue is just…"

Ana's exuberant voice trailed as she bounced out of the room to grab her IPad so they could Facetime on a bigger screen with Carla and Ray, leaving Christian in the living room tickled by his girlfriend's excitement and happiness.

.

..

...

...

 **A/N: Thank you for reading and reviewing.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

..

…

….

"Carla and I thank all of you for being here today to share our happiness with us. I know there are no cynics in _this_ room, so I have no issues declaring that I knew I would be with this amazing woman for the rest of my life, from almost the moment I first laid eyes on her. Carla is as loving and kind as she is beautiful and I feel like the luckiest man on earth because I not only gained a wife, but a daughter as well – even _though_ Ana was my daughter from the month after she stepped into Steele Hardware – it is now official. Please drink up and enjoy yourselves. Cheers!" Carla's planned speech had been a bust, she could not stop herself from getting choked up anytime she received a hug. When her boss the managing partner at Greene Wade handed her a very generous check along with a note granting her a month of leave for her honeymoon, she nearly cried a puddle of tears.

"To my Mom and _new_ Dad – I want to wish you everything that is good and wonderful in this world and all of the love your hearts and hands can hold because I cannot imagine two people who deserve it more. When I moved to Seattle some months ago, I worried about my mother because at that point she had spent her entire life so wholly devoted to me. Today I feel happy and grateful that my Mom has someone, _finally_ someone to take care of _her_ , someone to share dreams and plans with, someone with whom to hold hands and leap headlong into life and love.

When I left home some months ago I actually cried for the first twenty miles, in retrospect I probably should have pulled over to blow my nose." Ana paused as the guests laughed.

"Who knew my mother was shooing me out the door to get ready for a date with Ray Steele here?" Ana faux scolded with a wink in Carla and Ray's direction to the delight and amusement of those assembled.

"When I first stepped foot inside Steele Hardware, a gruff and standoffish man looked me up and down and shot me a low growl as a hello. He was unimpressed to say the least but I could tell that gruff exterior was just a façade. I could tell that other students had been a disappointment, and while I worked to make sure Ray knew he could count on me it was not lost on me that he had done the same for me. Loving numbers as I do, I understood what it meant that in spite of the slow season, when others in my positon would have their hours cut, he never once changed my schedule. That fact was not lost on me Ray." Ana nodded in his direction, fighting back her tears.

"You treated me like a daughter and I felt happy and safe in a way that was comforting. You and Caroline were _always_ family, but now it is official. To Carla and Ray A-K-A Mom and Dad!"

Carla and Ray chose Dockside Restaurant in Vancouver for their wedding reception – not only was the venue beautiful and picturesque it was also the very finest in dining. It cost Ray a small fortune to rent out the entire restaurant on a Saturday afternoon into evening, but he did not want to have strangers grazing about in the pasture of his and Carla's special day.

Ana, Mia, Grace and Caroline spent the night at Caroline's house while the guys bunked with Ray. The bachelor and bachelorette gatherings had been in the works from the moment the invites arrived. Ana sprung into action and arranged for a tasteful gathering for her mom while Christian went all out for Ray's celebration.

The ladies enjoyed facials and mani/pedis in an in-home spa like setting which Ana arranged, in addition there were shower gifts including lots of lingerie as well as gifts to be enjoyed by both Carla and Ray. Grace and Mia gifted the couple a wine of the month subscription with an introductory wine tour and tasting of the actual vineyard in Napa Valley. Caroline gifted her brother and new sister with a one of a kind crystal Lalique vase and picture frame, both engraved with their wedding date and initials in beautiful script. The evening concluded with the ladies enjoying a delicious meal prepared by a personal chef along with specialty cocktails, conversation and shower games. Ana came up with a more refined version of the game 'never have I ever' that she called – 'I won't tell if you don't'. Ana and Mia also created the game 'Ray said what?!' with Caroline's help. This game had left everyone in stitches as they all learned just how much bubble gum Carla could chew at once impressing all the ladies.

At Ray and Carla's Ray, Martin, Carrick, Christian, Elliot and Taylor played poker, pool and enjoyed drinks and cigars on the veranda and game room. Carrick and Elliot prepped and grilled ribeye steak and veggies, while Christian kept the Sidecars and French Connections flowing.

Elliot, Christian and Carrick bought Ray an outrageously intricate humidor, that would be installed while Ray and Carla traveled through Europe, along with boxes of rare cigars, with bottles of complimenting port wines. Ray had been taken aback by the generosity of his new found family and friends, but quickly adjusted when he recalled his recent admonishment of Carla for balking at _his_ generosity, realizing that this is just what happens when people care.

Taylor had gifted his old buddy a bottle of seventeen year old Suntory Hibiki, while Martin had booked a Tuscan tour for his uncle and new aunt's honeymoon.

..

…

The reception guests numbering thirty-five, basked in the ambiance of the restaurant along with the expanse of the terrace and gorgeous view of nearby Granville Island across False Creek, while wait staff passed hors d'oeuvres almost too beautiful to eat and collected drink orders, all while the photographer took candid photos of the bride, groom and their guests and a much sought after local band played the background music of their lives. Carla and Ray had posed for photos earlier in the week, which included both formal and informal photos of the couple. At first Carla had balked at Caroline's idea of a blue carpet with reception step and repeat for the guests, but she eventually relented. Carla was glad she did because it added festiveness to the occasion and the guests seemed to really enjoy having their pictures taken like movie stars at a premiere, Ray and Carla's premiere.

Carla chose a nineteen fifties style vintage knee length A-line dress in pure white with satin bodice, bateau neckline with a plunging back adorned by satin bows and organza skirt with wide satin trim at the hem and accented her tasteful ensemble with light blue embellished satin heels by Zuhair Murad. Ray wore a navy blue suit by Tom Ford with a light blue tie and puff. Carla had been thrilled to find the dress in a little boutique in downtown Vancouver having fallen in love with _her_ dress at first sight. The reasonable price tag told Carla that she and her dress were a match made in heaven.

Ana wore a light blue faux wrap dress with Gabi silver rhinestone dress sandals by Betsy Johnson with matching silver clutch. Christian wore a custom Brioni suit in navy blue with his signature silver tie.

Ana had to move past her initial feelings of upset because Ray was taking Carla on the vacation that she had planned in her head for the two of them, she had decided quickly that while she wanted to do this with and for her mother – things were just as they should be. Ana wanted her mother to be happy and more importantly she had to get used to the idea that it was no longer just the two of them, they were both women in love, life was good.

Ana loved the fact that Carla had rented her house to Caroline, but not _really_ rented, as Carla refused to take any rent money from her. Caroline did take care of the upkeep of the property and paid utilities and landscaping – Carla also refused to accept money for property taxes.

..

…

….

"Ana…I…" For the first time that he could recall Christian was truly at a loss for words. Ana was a goddess, standing before him in only her baby blue lace boy shorts and sparkly heels from earlier at Ray and Carla's wedding reception. She was so beautiful, and even though he had touched just about every inch of her – seeing her like this, a seductress - his siren, he found himself speechless, his mouth watering as it always did for her.

"Like what you see?" Ana asked coyly.

"No." He smirked moving forward, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand.

"No?" Ana asked shyly.

"No. I _love_ what I see Ana, because I love _you_."

Ana took deep breath.

"I love you too Chris…make love to me."

Christian quickly divested himself of his clothing, never taking his eyes off of Ana.

Ana had seen Christian naked, _and_ erect, so there were no surprises there – oddly she did not feel nervous, they had spoken about contraception, and Ana had chosen the shot – she felt it was a less intrusive way to handle birth control given that she could actually imagine forgetting a pill because of the challenging nature of her job and her late hours at work, a reminder on her personal and professional calendar every three months seemed the best plan of action to her.

Christian had never had sex with anyone without using a condom, he had a number of girlfriends tell him there was no need for condoms because they were on birth control, but he covered up every time no matter what – he simply explained that he preferred an extra layer of protection as it were, considering no birth control method was one hundred percent effective. He had never impregnated anyone and he credited his cautious nature with that track record, the idea of raw sex never even occurred to him, until now.

"You are so beautiful baby, I want to worship every inch of you." Christian almost whispered in a low sultry tone.

Ana took a cleansing breath, thinking that if Christian makes love as well as he seduces her with words, she might seriously become addicted to him, if she wasn't already.

..

…

"Ana, you feel _incredible_ baby." Christian breathed when he finally entered Ana, he had never felt _anything_ like this before – much more than the physicality and amazing feeling of being inside of Ana he was connected to her in a way he had _never_ been with another person and it was the most emotionally and spiritually transformative moment of his entire life. He could _feel_ Ana, he could feel love.

..

…

"Oh Chris, I'm…"

Ana held on tight to Christian as they moved together, as he moved in and out of her drawing out her latest and most intense orgasm. She was unable to stave off the tears that flowed into her ears while she dug her nails into his back as her pulsing orgasm caused Christian to finally climax with her. Christian immediately shifted them so that they were lying on their sides where they kissed each other breathless, then tightly held each other wordlessly before falling asleep, still holding one another, their connection not broken.

..

…

Christian woke before dawn, still holding Ana, _his_ Ana. He could feel her breath on his shoulder as she lightly snored. _Adorable,_ he thought.

Lying there Christian could not help but feel grateful for his rational and reasonable girlfriend, he truly believed that anyone else would not have been so understanding about his encounter with Suzanne, regardless of its innocence.

..

...

 _Flashback_

"Hello Christian, Elliot." Suzanne greeted the two men.

"Hi Suzanne." Christian and Elliot replied almost in unison.

"I just wanted to apologize for approaching you the other night Elliot, I was out of line and I know that it made you feel uncomfortable." She stated seemingly sincere.

"No problem, _really_." Elliot responded nonchalantly.

"Christian, I honestly wish you well, I was just upset at how quickly you seemed to move on."

Christian knew Suzanne had been approached by Kate, but she alone was responsible for her reaction to what she thought was bad news. He had never given Suzanne any reason to believe he would be anything other than monogamous, so he was mildly offended that someone with whom he spent so much time would think so little of him. Especially, based on the word of a stranger.

Christian did not immediately respond so she continued.

"I just thought there was something deeper there between us, I realize now I was wrong."

"I never intended to lead you on Suzanne, and I appreciate your apologizing to Elliot, it was wrong to involve him. Just so you know? I did not start seeing Anastasia until _after_ our split, I never cheated on you." That simple revelation seemed to mean a lot to her given her responding smile, though slight.

"Well I will let you get back to it – I just wanted to apologize and wish you well."

At this Christian stood and embraced her briefly.

"Thank you Suzanne, take care."

"Awwwkward." Elliot chuckled after Suzanne departed.

"I really liked Suzanne, she is a great person. She just was not the one for me."

"Let's get out of here. We need to escape the ghost of pussy past." Elliot joked.

"Dick." Christian smirked, shaking his head.

 _End flashback_

..

...

When Ana returned to work the following Monday she received an anonymous email that included a picture of Christian's embrace of Suzanne with a caption insinuating there was unfinished business between the two. The email was designed to hurt Ana and she admitted that for a beat seeing him hugging Suzanne was hurtful, but she believed Christian right away, because he had already told her about the conversation _and_ hug. What was troubling was that someone went to that length in order to hurt the two of them – they had been unsuccessful and that was all down to Ana, her willingness to hear him out and her maturity.

Though the picture had been convenient Christian was not convinced that the email was from Suzanne, or someone sending it on her behalf – he had Barney chase it down and it turned out that one of the editors, a David Ryan loyalist from the now defunct Nooz somehow managed to slither into the club that night and saw an opportunity to cause trouble for he and Ana. Debbie Staten's offer from the Seattle Times was rescinded shortly thereafter and she will likely have great difficulty finding work, at least in the Pacific Northwest.

..

…

….

Ian Skinner's killer had continued to elude police and she scoured the paper and net daily to determine if there were any leads. Kate had begun to breathe a bit easier, in that no news was good news, maybe she did not have to leave Seattle _just_ yet, she thought to herself - after all no one even knew she knew Ian, not in any provable way.

Things had gone from bad to worse for Kate, she struggled mightily to maintain at work, she had no clue what she was doing and her colleagues were unwilling to help her with even the minimal amount of guidance, not that she actually came right out and asked. She tried very hard to keep up but was falling woefully behind. Whenever she reached out to her father he told her to stop whining and figure it out – she had not missed a day of work since their _talk_ and every day she worked late just trying to keep up, she didn't really mind because she only had her mother to go home to and to top it all off Joyce had become even more verbally and emotionally abusive – she had not understood, until now that having her father and brother around had been an effective buffer, protecting her from her mother's disdain for a daughter she viewed as an embarrassment.

Living with Joyce was a total nightmare, she wore her clothes, used her things, including her car whenever she pleased and made a huge mess of the apartment. Joyce refused to pay _any_ bills in spite of ordering the most expensive cable package available and constantly leaving the lights on. One day Kate came home to find the water in the kitchen sink running and when she asked her mother about it she flippantly answered that she must have forgotten it when she made her tea that morning, meaning the water had been running for over thirteen hours – to make matters worse if that was possible she ate all of the food Kate bought for the apartment. Kate remembered Ana talking to her about living on a budget, and she tried, she just could not figure it out – everything seemed so complicated and overwhelming. Kate had opted for direct deposit and had begun to put money into savings. She knew she would have to move soon if things did not change. The fact that Joyce was out _a lot_ was her only solace.

..

…

"Hey Kate."

"Oh, hey Myles." Kate responded, somewhat surprised that someone was actually talking to her, she felt increasingly isolated at work – she had never not been popular, no one even engaged her in discussions or asked her to join them for lunch or happy hour.

Myles was a content editor who had been at KM for about three years, he was pretty much the only one who talked to her, _anywhere_ –she had not heard from Ethan and his phone number had been changed recently, not that it mattered since he had in all likelihood blocked her long ago – he probably got tired of the messages that piled up. He had won as Kate had finally given up.

"You're here pretty late today."

"I had quite a bit of research to catch up on, I lost track of time – it's not hard to do when you don't have a window." She responded forcing out a half chuckle that made her feel pathetic.

"Why don't you knock off for the day, I was going to grab a bite to eat – care to join me?"

Kate could not believe her ears, not only was someone talking to her – he was being nice. In that moment she realized sadly that no one had uttered one nice word to her in weeks, and it was all her fault.

" _Right_. I am sure the last thing you want to do is sit across from the swamp thing of KM." She sighed.

"Swamp things need food too. What do you say?" Myles asked with a kind smile. Kate could not believe her eyes and ears. She understood all that had been lost to her in recent weeks, what she had not had time to dwell on was just how lonely she was.

"Okay."

..

…

"My oldest sister moved here from Portland after college and when I used to visit her and her family I just fell in love with the emerald city."

Myles was a really nice guy, Kate thought as she listened while he talked about his family. She could see how much love there was for his sisters and brother.

Before she could stop it, the dam burst, and for the next few minutes, she sobbed into her napkin. She felt fortunate that they were in an out of the way booth, she was just so overwhelmed.

When she finally managed to compose herself, she was met with Myles concerned, warm blue eyes.

"Are you okay? I have three sisters and I never know what to do when they cry."

"I'm fine, I'm sorry." She said through sniffles.

"It's okay Kate. Do you want to talk about it?"

Myles had noticed the beautiful young daughter of KM's owner, but the office chatter about her had not been good and for that reason he had steered clear. Even though every ounce of his being had told him to keep it moving after seeing her light on as he left the office – he was inexplicably drawn to her.

Kate had nothing to lose really, so she gave him the Cliffs Notes version of the last few months of her life, minus the stalking, betrayal of trust and _murder_ of course.

Much to her surprise Myles vowed to help her with work.

"Kate I can only share with you some tools on how to both get the best out of your subordinates at work, and how to take on your job successfully, but you are going to _have_ to do the work."

"I don't know what to do…they…they hate me." She states barely above a whisper.

"I really do not think that's true at all, but I can certainly understand why they would dislike you. You have treated the people you work with terribly, you have failed at doing your job because you wouldn't even try and you used the fact that your father owns the company as a way to shield yourself from the repercussions of your unprofessional behavior. You _have_ to own that Kate. You have to humble yourself, apologize and ask for help. Starting with your father."

Kate would normally be appalled by someone reading her the riot act, but somehow Myles managed to dress her down in a way that made her want to listen. Perhaps her newly found willingness to listen was the result of living alone with her mother and having an extremely unflattering window into her possible future unless she turned things around.

"I can do that."

..

…

"Dad?"

"What do you _want_ Kate." The fact that he no longer addressed her as Katie was not lost on her. Eamon was fed up with her entitled bullshit and for the first time she understood all of the opportunities she had squandered – that just being Eamon's daughter alone was not enough to get her through life.

"I hope I am not disturbing you. But I wanted to say I am sorry."

Eamon remained momentarily silent on the other end of the phone – unsure of what to make of his daughter's apology.

"What exactly are you apologizing for?" He responded. She had broken his heart so thoroughly that he honestly did not know if he had anything left to give to her.

"For the way I have behaved, I really am sorry Dad, I try really hard to do my job, because I want to learn, not just because you told me I had to…"

"For the way you behaved huh? How about some specifics Kate – after all you did not offend in general." Eamon chided.

"I am not a good student Dad, but I always skated by on the Kavanaugh name, and everyone always let me. When I started at KM I felt scared because everyone here is so good at what they do – I am not like them, I was angry because they were not fooled by me, they didn't just do the work for me. I thought you would intervene and…I do not have the confidence because I have always found instructions confusing and the words get all jumbled when I read – I am not making an excuse Dad, I am explaining why I lash out at people who threaten to expose the fact that I just _do not_ get it." Kate sighed trying to maintain her composure, no matter what he said, she had to get this out.

"I am sorry for spending money on nonsense and never fully appreciating all that you do to make sure I have whatever I want. I always felt like I just deserved it, so I stopped trying…anything."

Kate's mother had always told her she was stupid so she better marry a rich man. Over the years she had come to believe it was true and it had made her desperate and vicious, but she chose not to ask for help. She spent most of her life worried she would be found out, terrified of what would happen when she was.

"I am sorry that I lied about college, that I embarrassed you at work and that I was mean to people who worked for you – most of all I am sorry they felt they had no recourse because I abused the fact that I am your daughter."

"Dad there are so many things that I have done wrong, too many to list, but I just want you to know that I _am_ trying and I am so sorry. And that is all I wanted to say." Kate hung up after a brief silence, she did not want to break down on the phone with her father, she knew that would likely only exacerbate the situation, she did not want his sympathy, she wanted him to believe in her sincerity and she wanted his guidance.

It had been three weeks since her dinner with Myles, and he encouraged her a little more each day. Yesterday she gathered her staff for a meeting and brought in a nice catered lunch – she first apologized for her haughty behavior and then asked for their input on how she could better serve them as their manager. She made a promise to work hard to gain their respect and professional trust and though some seemed to scoff at her alleged new leaf – others appeared to want to give her a chance. It was the best she could hope for considering the circumstances.

Myles and Kate had lunch together as often as their workload would allow and he finally got her to open up about her issues with completing her assigned tasks.

Kate invited Myles to her place where she ordered takeout for the two of them, their evening had been ruined however by Joyce's shameless drunken flirting. This incident had solidified one thing for Kate and that was that no matter what happened as a consequence, she could not continue to live with her mother.

Kate continued to work late and not just because she wanted to avoid Joyce, she worked because she genuinely wanted to do a good job, to please her father and to prove she was capable and valuable as an employee and daughter. She remembered Ana's kind words when all she did was complain and lie about her job. Kate had hated Ana, deep down wanting to see her hurt, it was as irrational as it was pathetic. Ana's mother was so kind and supportive and so was Ana, she was smart and sweet and worked really hard – she had truly been her only friend, not like those bitches who would hang out with her and then just look away when the check came after they enjoyed expensive meals with tiny food and bottle service at the best clubs. Ana never wanted to go out really, maybe a movie here and there or the coffee bar and café near campus - Ana always paid her share, even treating Kate a few times. She bought all of the food for the apartment for the short time they lived together and prepared good meals, even offering to teach her to cook. Ana never wanted anything from her but friendship, and Kate never obliged.

In the few weeks since she had begun putting in a real effort at work – Kate had not heard from her _friends_ – as a matter of fact, none had even called to check on her. She slowly began to realize that she generally reached out to them, not the other way around and in in the absence of her making phone calls, she never heard from them. Her great friends had been using her. She never heard back from Stacie about fashion week once she told her they would not be able to use the KM jet or stay at the New York apartment; she felt foolish – of course she would get her tickets to Dolce and Gabana, Stacie wanted to travel in style, on Kate.

"Why are you here so late?"

She was startled from her thoughts – even more so at finding her father at her office door.

"It sometimes takes a little longer for me to read through some of this research, it is easier when it's quiet." She responded sheepishly with a shrug, inside she was so happy to see her father she could barely contain herself, when she hung up – she did not really expect to hear from him, let alone see him.

"I see. What are you working on?"

"I am looking over the research for the piece on the effect of women in politics, there is a global element to the story that we need to nail down." She explained.

Eamon was surprised that Kate actually seemed engaged in her work. He had made inquiries about her time and attendance only and learned that she had been doing very well – it was his basic requirement of her and sadly he did not expect much more, certainly not this.

"Are you having trouble with it?"

"No, not trouble, I just work slower than most is all." She says embarrassed.

"Well, you know – I _am_ slow after all…"

"Kate, what the _hell_ are you talking about?" He interrupted.

"My dyslexia?" She stated, somewhat annoyed that he clearly did not remember.

"Wait a minute, are you telling me that you are dyslexic?" Eamon asked incredulously.

"Dad, you _knew_ about this, do you not remember all of those tests they had me do right around the time I was in second grade?"

"I do, your mother said they determined you had _no_ learning disability, that you became distracted due to boredom, so you needed to go to another school where the student to teacher ratio was less and you would be more challenged…"

"No Dad, they told Mom _and_ me that I was dyslexic and wanted me to have a tutor, move me to a class with other children who _also_ had learning disabilities and be held back – _that_ is why I was moved to another school. She did not want any of her friends to know I was stupid." Her words not mine, Kate thought.

"Kate! Why did you never talk to me about any of this? Having a learning disability does not mean you are stupid Kate."

"Honestly, I thought you knew. You never asked me about school or anything, until I was at WSU and you met Ana." She stated ashamed.

"I was happy to meet Ana, because she seemed so focused and mature unlike your other friends who only talked about boys, parties and clothes. I thought it meant you were really taking your education seriously and I wanted to encourage the friendship because she seemed to be a good influence. After that your grades soared, or so I _thought_."

Kate hangs her head in shame.

"I had no idea what Mom was doing, I just thought the two of you talked to the right people like you always did and I just played my part. I was confused when you started trying to have these conversations with me about school after you met Ana, because you had never done that before. Mom told me early on that my focus should be in finding a rich man, because I was too stupid to take care of myself and the two of you would eventually cut me off."

Eamon is appalled that he did not know his daughter had a learning disability. _Joyce was fucking done_.

"Listen Kate, Katie…"

At this Kate dissolved into tears, bawling like a baby, especially when she felt her father's arms wrapped around her.

"Katie, it's going to be okay. You have to trust me, I know I let you down but…"

"You…did…nt…let…me…" Kate tried to sob out.

"It was my responsibility to take care of you sweetheart. I failed you because I thought if I just provided for you and gave you every advantage, everything would be perfect in your world. I was wrong, I am sorry I let you down Katie – but I am going to fix it, I will talk to Ethan too."

"I would prefer you didn't do that Dad. I begged Ethan for weeks to forgive me when in reality I did _nothing_ to him, nothing to deserve his cutting me out of his life. I had to learn to figure out my life and I did that on my own with only _your_ support – even though you were pissed at me you were the only one who did not abandon me. Maybe one day I will be ready to speak to Ethan, but I have begun to thrive and I do not need any distractions." In her mind she thought _fuck_ Ethan, she called him every day until he changed his number and left him dozens of voicemail messages. When she needed him he had shit on her, his Facebook page showed Ethan was living it up while his ignoring her caused her actual physical pain, that was not love and she did not need that. Myles helped her to see the cruelty in what her brother had done.

"Dad, I want to do my job, I really do. I just need a little help. Myles helped me to find a tutor who I work with three times a week, it was determined that my difficulty with numbers is due to my dyscalculia, _also_ a learning disability. I know I am not stupid Dad, and I am willing to work hard to overcome my issues. I apologized to the staff and everyday it gets better with them, some I can tell still don't like me, but they are professionals who put KM ahead of their personal feelings."

"I believe that you do Katie, and I am going to help in any way that I can."

"Well, you can start by promoting Tonya into this position. I am just _not_ qualified Dad, maybe someday – but Tonya is ready _today_ – she works hard and deserves the job. I will be fine reporting to her even if she is only lukewarm where I am concerned, I just have to work to earn her trust, she is a professional so I know she will do what is best for KM, including helping me along, hopefully once I explain my circumstance."

"Wow."

"I'm sorry Dad, I am not trying to tell you how to run your…"

"No. Katie." He interrupts.

"I am proud of you, very proud of you."

"Dad you don't have to say…"

"No, I mean it. I expected that at the most you would have just shown up to work and put in your eight hours and go home, but you more than exceeded my expectations. I will speak with Tonya first thing tomorrow, thank you for your input. Now, let's get out of here and grab dinner someplace outrageously overpriced if you want."

"Can we go to for pizza Dad?"

"Anything you want Katie."

..

…

….

"Eamon? What are you doing here, and why do you have my luggage?" Joyce asks walking out of the salon as she finishes her post shift age defying facial.

"Well I had planned to put it in your car, but I noticed that you drove Katie's car and I am having it taken back to her after Mercedes re-keys it. _Your_ less than a year old SUV is still in the garage at Katie's but I have called for a tow."

"What the _fuck_ is going on?"

"You my dear are on your own. You will receive your agreed upon alimony for another ten years, but you no longer live with _our_ daughter, your reign of terror in her life is over. Since you are not listed on the lease and you never bothered to have your mail forwarded to your new address, you have zero proof that you live there – you even listed _my_ address on your new employment records."

"Why are you doing this Eamon, did that little bitch go whining to Daddy?" She mocks.

"No actually, she never said a word – I can only imagine the nightmare that was living with you. No, our daughter has been working hard to earn a living along with the respect of her peers _and_ her father. My plan to teach her responsibility _actually_ worked, and no doubt living with you unfiltered was even more of a motivation. I did this because you lied to me for years about our daughter's learning disability."

Joyce looks as if she has seen a ghost, but she quickly regains her composure.

"What did you expect me to do – tell everyone our daughter is a goddamn _retard_?"

Eamon could barely contain his anger but managed because his hands around her throat was just the ammunition she needed for a larger divorce settlement and his overall ruin. This crazy woman was receiving more than fifty thousand dollars a month for ten years along with half of the sale of their estate which should net her around five and a half million dollars, in addition to the apartment in New York valued at about fifteen million. She would not get any part of KM or the other six properties acquired during the marriage, and she was clear that if she fought the more than generous settlement she would get nothing, _especially_ not alimony. She could have put a down payment on a home by now and moved on with her life, instead of doing this Joyce shopped and ate expensive meals, with her salary at the salon likely absorbed by her personal maintenance. If she was capable of critical thinking at all, Joyce would have bought a salon if she had any interest in being anything other than a consumer. He wondered what on earth he ever saw in this she devil.

"That won't work on me Joyce, I have no intention of even raising my voice to you, let alone allowing you to rile me up so that I lash out and strike you. You are all out of tricks sweetheart." Eamon turns and walks away while Joyce screams obscenities at his back.

.

..

….

 **A/N: Don't worry, Kate will** _ **not**_ **be getting away with murder, she will have to pay for** _ **all**_ **that she has done. There will be absolutely no friendship between Kate and Ana. Few people are irredeemable and my version of Kate is no exception and while she might be slightly more sympathetic than some might want I believe there are very few evil people, more often than not there are reasons for why people do the things they do. Hurt people, hurt people.**

 **Please Review. Thank you for reading.**

 **The Dockside is actually located in Vancouver, BC, but I took a bit of dramatic license placing it in Washington State.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

..

…

….

"Well isn't this a pleasant surprise – to what do I owe this visit?" Christian remarked rising from his chair to greet the love of his life.

"I wish I could say this visit was pleasure and not business." Ana says as Christian notices the uncharacteristically worried look on her face.

"What's wrong baby?"

Ana was not one to mince words, she also knew that Christian would appreciate it if she were to cut to the chase.

"There's something off in M and A Chris, the numbers are just not adding up, though they _appear_ to be. Someone is embezzling money, likely for some time now – I have detected patterns going back _at least_ seven months." Ana knew Christian would find this information devastating, it had been the pattern of numbers that jumped out at Ana. Hands down through all of her years of matriculation it had been forensic accounting that seemed to call to Ana and she was devastatingly proficient. Embezzlers, while oft times extremely clever were ultimately slaves to patterns, it was all in the numbers, the way they hid their deceptions, the frequent infrequencies and even the amounts themselves, all patterns. Ana could not quite identify the source though she had narrowed it to the department – making the task infinitely less taxing – but she would find that person if it was the last thing she did – she _would_ get to the bottom of this.

"Unfortunately I will have to share this with Jerry, now that I have narrowed it down – but for now it must remain between the four of us." Ana advised.

"Hold off on that, _for now_ anyway – let's keep it between the two of us. I am actually pretty pissed that Roach is not the one bringing this to me. I pay that man a small fucking fortune." Christian stated trying to tamp down his anger.

"Jerry is not a forensic accountant, and the embezzler is very skilled, I know this because a professional cursory look and even an audit would not detect it – an audit _did_ _not_ detect it. He or she is good, but _Christian_ , I will find them." Ana stated emphatically while placing her hand on Christian's reassuringly – emphasizing her commitment to resolution by using his given name.

"I understand, fine, let's get Ros and Roach up here."

..

…

….

"We traced the phone using the ESN number, I had to talk to some egg head at the Telecommunications Industry Association outside of Washington, DC to track down the phone number. _That was fun_." Detective Polk smirked at his partner Grier.

"The burner phone was part of a batch sold at Walmart near downtown, but it was paid for in cash _months_ ago and the security footage is long gone. We do have a request in for a call log – so we're getting there."

"You think maybe the coroner got it wrong? I mean maybe the person who beat him up also killed him." Grier queried.

"No, I'm pretty sure he got it right – Dr. B has a solid reputation, I believe him when he states that the beating took place hours before the stabbing – but it's more than that, he also determined that the vic was standing at the time he was stabbed because of the blood splatter and droplet evidence from the crime scene photos. Whoever laid that beating on him meant to punish and _not_ kill him because that person could have easily beaten him to death, especially considering he would have passed out at some point. I think the doc is spot on – it was a woman, probably a crime of passion." Detective Polk explained.

"So what is the next step?"

"Well we're going to talk to his parents, friends and co-workers to determine if he was seeing anyone for starters and see what we can glean from there – while we wait on that phone log. All we can do is hope that that person called others as well."

..

…

….

"Tonya, do you have a minute?"

"Sure Kate, come in – have a seat." Tonya responded gesturing towards the seat in front of her desk. Her desk in the office she now occupies as part of her _new_ position.

"I have the research you requested for the new piece on college tuition costs, gainful employment for recent college grads and the long term socioeconomic effects of student debt. I have a few questions about the direction you want to take with the upcoming 'Workplace Millennials' series if you don't mind."

"No problem, the work you did on the 'Women in Politics' series was _excellent_. How can I help?" Tonya responded taking the folder from Kate. Tonya could not believe _this_ was the same person, Kate had been a complete nightmare just a few months ago – so much so, that the staff was ready to walk out if something was not done about her. Eamon Kavanaugh had stepped up to the plate because his daughter had done a complete one eighty. Kate worked really hard and put in long hours in order to get her work done – her commitment had paid off as she was now one of the best researchers in the department – she brought a fresh perspective to the team – and while others continued to regard her with polite, professional reserve, Tonya was confident that Kate had indeed turned things around for good.

Kate had never once received a compliment for any accomplishment, sadly she realized it was because she had not accomplished much, if _anything_. It felt good and she could not help the smile that escaped her, it made her want to work harder, she was determined to do her best.

"Thank you, that's very kind of you to say. Did you have any particular industry in mind for the new series, or would you prefer a potpourri of sorts?"

..

…

"Hey! You keep that up and there won't be any left for the pizza." Kate playfully fussed at Myles after he popped yet another slice of pepperoni into his mouth. They were using the pizza stone Myles bought for her - he had been slowly teaching her to prepare simple meals.

"Oh we have plenty." Myles responded before wrapping her in his arms from behind as she stood at the kitchen counter.

" _DON'T_!" Kate screamed, causing Myles to immediately drop his arms.

"I'm, sorry." Kate sobbed as she turned to find a shocked Myles staring at her, clearly confused by what just happened. Kate and Myles had shared intimate moments, including tender kisses that turned steamy, but they had not had sex – oddly this was the first guy she had ever met who by deed and decency was worthy of her but she just wanted to take things slowly – in reality Myles was the first and only man who took time getting to know her – the first one she actually liked. Myles had startled her when he grabbed her, though gently, from behind. One minute they were having fun and the next Kate was a slobbering mess unable to catch her breath, she could _not_ go on like this.

"It's okay Kate, I'm not going to hurt you baby, I promise you…you're safe." Myles soothed, taking her gently into his arms, only when she indicated it was okay for him to do so.

Kate could not stop sobbing – she had never been afraid in her life, but she was afraid. She had killed a man, even though Ian was likely going to force himself on her, she freaked out and a person was dead and to make matters worse, much worse she hid it, not only because of what happened that night, but also because of everything she had been doing – for years. She held onto this wonderful man that she did not deserve.

"Whatever it is, let me help you…"  
"You can…can't help me, nobody…" She began to choke out, then stopped short realizing what needed to happen.

"There's nothing you can do Myles, but I need to tell you something. If you are still interested once I am finished I would like for us to go and speak with my father."

..

…

….

"Mr. and Mrs. Skinner without divulging too many of the forensic details of your son's murder, we have reason to believe that his killer could have been a woman, based on the trajectory of the wound. Was your son seeing anyone?"

"He dated a lot – though _we_ had not met anyone in over a year. He was a young guy and I had the impression he spread himself around a bit not wanting to be tied down." Ian's father spoke up.

"I see, we determined that he did not have a personal cell phone because he utilized the one provided for him by his employer, so with the exception of sources, he did not have many personal numbers stored, the women that were contacted either stated they didn't know him or he was someone they vaguely remembered meeting one time. Did he spend time with friends, and if so would you put us in touch with them?

"He was focused on his career." Helen Skinner chimed in.

All he had learned about Ian was a bunch of nothing – the guy seemed like a slimy loser with no friends and seemingly no recreational outlets. A search of his place turned up very little, it seemed his place was mainly for sleeping and storing his clothing, considering few personal touches, and the minimalistic nature of the furniture. All the guy did was slither around and peer into the lives of other people and he was _obsessed_ with Christian Grey. He had spent the last three years basically stalking him – he probably knew when Grey took a shit – it was disturbing. While Grey was not his only focus he was by far the person he most wanted to _scoop_ so to speak, and it looked like it had taken over his entire life.

"Well, if you can think of anything or _anyone_ for that matter, please feel free to contact me, you have my information."

Polk believed they were holding back – there was something his parents were hiding, but he could not quite put his finger on it.

..

…

"I'm confused Helen, don't you want to find out who did this to our son and _why_?" Ron Skinner queried.

"Of course I do."

"Well, then you need to agree to turn over what we found hidden in his place."

"Ron, I…I can't."

"He's dead Helen, our son is dead – what exactly are you trying to preserve? Listen to me, we did the best we could do to raise Ian to be a good man, we sacrificed to educate him and showed him love and understanding – his failures are _not_ ours, we gave Ian everything we had – we were _good_ parents. Please understand that _nothing_ we found can hurt him now." Ron Skinner lamented taking his wife in his arms as she cried.

..

…

….

"Chris, how can you be so relaxed, I would have thought you would be screaming the place down during our meeting with Ros and Jerry." Ana asked as they headed to Escala after a long and trying day.

Christian smirked at the remark.

"I think before now I most certainly would have. But I know everything will be fine – and I know that because you are amazing. Please do not misunderstand, I trust Ros implicitly – but I always felt the weight of GEH rested on _my_ shoulders alone – I don't feel that way now – I know you will find the culprit and I know everything is going to be fine. Baby, hiring you was one of the best business decisions I have ever made."

"What!? Me?" Ana could not help her blush.

"Yes, you.

"I love you Chris."

"I love you too baby."

..

…

After dinner and a sexy shower, Christian and Ana lost themselves in each other, allowing today's tensions and revelations to simply melt away.

"Move in with me."

At this Ana giggled, they pretty much lived together as it was. They were together every night – either at her place or his and they rode to and from work together each day. Every weekend they spent time together either alone or with family, the rest was just a matter of having the conversation.

"What's so funny?"

"Well, with the exception of our clothing being housed in two different places, we practically live together already." She smiled, while idly playing with his soft chest hairs.

"You noticed huh?" Christian had wanted to make their living arrangement permanent _and_ official – but he was nervous about asking Ana to move in with him, he understood how fiercely she coveted her independence.

"Yep, I did the math." Ana smiled.

"So?"

"Yes, I would like to live with you Chris, but we need to talk finance…"

"Ana, there is no way you are paying rent when I own this place." Christian spoke up cutting her off.

"I know you will not take any money from me, I mean you went to all that trouble to set up my expense account, the contents of which match exactly two thousand dollars a month more than my monthly rent payments." She declares raising an eyebrow at him.

"I did not try to hide that Ana, you were being difficult." He said tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I was being independent Chris." She chided with a roll of her eyes.

"You keep rolling your eyes and they are going to get stuck, then I'll have to buy an eyeglass company. I'll name it Stuck in the Middle Eyewear." He teases before he begins to tickle her breathless.

"Tomorrow I will have designers come in look at building out our new closet and a dressing room for you, that makes me happy baby."

"Okay, I would like to pay for the new closet installation…"

"No."

"I thought we would at least negotiate Chris…"

"No, no negotiation. I want to take care of you, that is my job."

"The money you earn will be yours to do as you see fit, however, our living expenses will be covered by me, always." Christian stated with finality.

"But Chris, I just…"

"Ana, I am going to talk about this with you as a means to emphasize to my point only, but I want you to understand that I am neither bragging nor minimizing your contribution to this relationship. Okay?"

"Yes." Ana nodded taking a deep breath.

"I earn approximately one hundred thousand dollars every half hour, you will never pay a utility bill, ever again if I have my way, because you are _it_ for me baby." Christian states emphatically, his eyes never leaving hers.

While Ana knew Christian was a billionaire many times over, she had not considered what that type of wealth boiled down to in 'everyday people terminology' _actually_ looked like – for the first time since meeting him Christian seemed unapproachable somehow, all of the time she told herself that the money didn't matter seemed liked hollow missives to her former self. Ana began to tear up at the notion that she was not only not in Christian's league but also, just maybe she was in over her head.

"Baby, please don't cry." Christian spoke reluctantly, afraid of what Ana's tears meant.

"Baby please don't be afraid, please…please don't leave me." He lamented.

"Chris, I _am_ afraid."

"Don't be. I will do whatever I can to help you feel secure in this." He stated motioning between the two of them.

"But understand that it is my responsibility to give you the world, the one you richly deserve. I know you love me Ana and I love you – that means we can conquer any fears we might both have."

"Chris, you are the most fearless man I have ever met. What possible fears could someone like you have?"

"I fear losing you Ana – I know I am far from being good enough for you."

"What!?" Ana whisper yells.

"Ana, money makes life easier to navigate through some pretty rough waters that may rise, but decency and character come from within. I have not always been the most honorable or decent guy where women are concerned. For the first time in my life I am in a relationship that I want to work hard at – I am with a woman I want to work hard to be _worthy_ of, you Ana are the most amazing person I have ever met – baby you are my air, I don't see a future without you in it."

"I just want you to always know why I'm here. That it is you and not the hundred thousand every half hour." Ana breathes quirking an eyebrow. _Holy shit!_ She thought swallowing hard.

"I know that baby. I do – and even when you start to enjoy the trappings of all of this." He states with a wave of his arm.

"And you will, because I am going to help you with that. I will _still_ know why you are here."

..

…

….

"Elliot Grey, pleased to meet you." Elliot greeted extending his hand. Inside he was dancing, this chick was _smoking_ hot. While, as a rule he did not mind mixing business with pleasure, he realized nonetheless that this situation could be tricky – he seldom had business dealings with women and he had hoped to cultivate an excellent partnership with Pacific Designs. Cleary Jason Nichols had a lot of faith in this young woman if he entrusted her with the design for such a prestigious client. He had to make sure he did not allow his dick to lead him to ruin.

"Gia Matteo." She greeted extending her hand.

"This house is amazing, it has such character." Gia mused taking in the expansive home on Bainbridge Island. Her firm had been commissioned to produce drawings for a complete renovation of the property, what was interesting about this project was that the owners wanted several drawings with three dimensional renderings to choose from. Gia viewed this as a unique opportunity to display her eclectic talents. This opportunity indicated a level of confidence from her manager as well as upper management. Pacific hoped to foster a good working relationship with Grey Construction and she was to be the conduit, she would not let them down.

As an up and coming architect having come highly recommended for this project, she knew she had to impress Mr. Grey in order to make the project happen. So far it was she who was impressed, he was absolutely _gorgeous_ – his company website had been generic and with the exception of one photo of him, which did not do him justice, he was tall, built and had piercing gray eyes, his hair was dark with flecks of copper, almost like highlights.

"Do you have any ideas at first glance?" Elliot asked pulling her from her thoughts.

"Well I know that your firm specializes in sustainable materials, so I would like to take advantage of some of the older features while upgrading most of the others. The sleek post-modern lines and angles should not be mussed with, but the materials can be upgraded, such as concrete and bamboo finishes. The biggest challenge will be what to do about the load bearing walls that are impeding the new owner's desire for a more open floor plan…"

Elliot heard the word desire, and could only focus on Gia's mouth. She was fucking perfect, she was a red head with huge green eyes, perfect body complete with large tits, that he could tell from his years as a certified breast man were completely natural.

"No matter what _that_ wall is history." She says pointing to the wall that separates the family room and eat in kitchen. I also love the idea of a two story family room off the kitchen with a solar feature of course to make it energy efficient…well, those things are just a _start_ of course. I would like to take some pictures including the exterior – both for perspective and to enhance the three dimensional renderings. Shall we?" Gia asked taking out her camera and switching it to panoramic mode.

"Absolutely. Why don't we start with the master bedroom and work our way around?" Elliot suggested.

"Sounds good."

..

…

"I have two younger siblings as well, sisters." Gia shared with Elliot over a light dinner and one glass of Shiraz which was her limit.

"My dad works as a network engineer and my mother is a kindergarten teacher – she was _my_ teacher, it is how my parents met."

"I don't understand." Elliot remarked, his brow wrinkling.

"My biological mother left my dad and I when I was about two years old. He met my _real_ mother, I don't refer to her as a step, because she is the real deal – when I began kindergarten. It took him a whole school year to work up the courage to ask her out and they married a year later – she adopted me as soon as they were married." Gia explained, smiling at the memories.

Gia had known very little about her bio mom, and really did not care to. Her _real_ mother was the heartbeat of their family and had loved them back to life as her father always said. Tom Matteo knew his relationship with his first wife had been doomed from the beginning but was still committed to the marriage – he had been somewhat lost raising a daughter as a single father for almost four years until he met Sandra, his soulmate – lovingly her father always said that things were as they were supposed to be. She was raised with love in an extremely close knit family. Gia was seven and nine years older than her sisters Shannon and Ciara respectively, but in spite of the age difference they were her best friends in the world.

What started as a friendly drink to discuss the Bainbridge project had turned into Gia and Elliot, having dinner and talking for hours.

Gia lived in a modest condo she purchased for herself in Redmond, she was very proud of her accomplishment – it meant she would have to work diligently not only to be excellent at her job, but also to be sought after as well.

"You have the most beautiful eyes." Elliot complimented.

Gia felt shy and could not help her blush at his compliment.

"Thank you."

"It's not a line, I promise you."

"I didn't think it _was_ Elliot, I know sincerity when I see it. It's in the eyes." She smiled. Gia was somewhat aware of the man in front of her and his love 'em and leave 'em reputation, but for some reason she believed in his sincerity.

"Would you like to go out with me sometime?"

"I would love to."

..

…

Gia clasped Elliot's hand nervously as they approached the door to his family home. What on earth was she thinking agreeing to go to dinner at his parent's home for a first date? Though she and Elliot talked and texted nearly every day, their schedules had delayed their date by almost two weeks. Gia was nervous, she did not like being scrutinized – these people had money and _lots_ of it, Gia was unsure as to whether or not she would fit in amongst Seattle's elite, his brother was friggin' billionaire for Christ sake. Thank god she lived just about fifteen minutes from here, she could probably get there on foot in less than an hour on foot if the need arose.

"Don't be nervous, it will be fine." Elliot reassured her, pulling her from her thoughts of flight.

"Hi, you must be Gia, welcome."

"Yes, thank you for having me Mrs. Grey."

"Please dear call me Grace."

..

…

Dinner had been lovely – Elliot's family was much like her own, warm and welcoming. Gia never even got the feeling of being regarded with anything other than genuine interest and congeniality. She stood in the hallway near the powder room studying the Grey family photos. Everyone in this family was beautiful, it was like they were drawn. Both Grace and Carrick Grey had made her feel at home despite being wealthy and accomplished, she was at ease in their presence, well as much as she could be in such a circumstance. Christian Grey was much more down to earth than she had imagined and his girlfriend Anastasia was exquisite. Mia was very friendly and seemed interested in getting to know her better, but she could have been just being polite. Looking at the pictures, and having witnessed their playful sibling banter over dinner, Gia was reminded of her sisters and how much she missed them. Still, Gia felt intimidated despite being shown overwhelming hospitality.

"It's a lot to take in I know."

Gia turned to find Anastasia, or Ana as she prefers to be called.

"I admit I find myself slightly intimidated by my surroundings." Talk about the understatement of the year, Gia thought taking a cleansing breath.

"I felt the same way not too long ago – and I want to reassure you that the warmth is not only genuine it is not fleeting. Elliot sent me to find you, we're going to have dessert and coffee on the patio – shall we?"

Ana felt an instant warmth when meeting Gia – largely because she could tell that Gia was very fond of Elliot and most importantly that the feeling was mutual, Gia looked at Elliot like he was her hero and it was so obvious Elliot was enthralled with her – he was hanging on every word spoken by the adorably shy Gia, who while somewhat shy and reserved can definitely hold her own in a room full of over achieving Greys. She was smart, poised and had a great sense of humor, Ana liked her instantly.

..

…

"I had a lovely time tonight Elliot, you family is wonderful, I felt very welcomed – thank you for inviting me to dinner."

"My family really liked you, I think they were a little shocked though."

"Why is that?" Gia asked.

"Gia I am going to be honest with you, I don't have the best reputation as it relates to women. My family members have met a few women over the years, but I have never had a serious relationship and for that reason, let's just say the caliber of women I have been with left something to be desired. As far as players go, the more shallow – the better.

"Why would a guy like you settle?"

"A guy like me?"

"Elliot, you're brilliant. I have learned so much in the two weeks I have known you. You're undeniably talented and creative. On a personal level you are attentive, witty and sweet – I look forward to our time together in a way I never have with anyone before. I, I guess I just find it hard to believe you would be interested in women who are shallow."

"That's just it really, I _wasn't_ really interested. I know that given our interaction it seems like I am speaking about another person, and in some ways that is very true because I am a different person with you. Ever since high school – I have dealt with girls and women who were interested in me for one reason or another, none really who were interested in _knowing_ me – it was always all about hooking up with a Grey or what I could buy for them or getting into a party or club. Don't get me wrong, I was fully invested in being used, I am no victim here – because I was the ultimate consumer when it came to women, but I am tired of that now. The only reason I am telling you all of this Gia is because I want to build something with you and I do not want you to be hurt by my past. It matters to me that you be able to trust me."

"I would like that Elliot."

"Really, you're still interested in me after all that I've shared with you tonight?"

"Elliot, you are seriously not unlike a lot of guys our age, and I appreciate your honesty – I hope you will always be honest with me – I have been lied to before and it was painful."

..

…

….

"Mr. Kavanaugh – let me just cut right to the chase here, having reviewed your request for the student residency program at Seattle General, regrettably we are taking a pass. _Without_ a forwarding recommendation." Scott Graham deputy chief of staff at Seattle General stated firmly.

"And why is that?" Ethan inquired trying hard not to lose his temper. He had been turned down by Cedar Sinai, the Mayo Clinic _and_ New York Presbyterian – Seattle General had been his safety hospital and he was becoming desperate. His father had gotten him the interview, but for some reason all the doors that normally flung open for him were closed, _without recommendation_. He had no idea what the fuck was happening, but he would get to the bottom of it.

"The chief of staff has the final say with respect to candidates for our teaching program and in spite of the recommendation of your professors, there were other candidates who were better suited to the program."

"I see, well perhaps I could speak with the chief of staff, I met Dr. Carter last year…"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Dr. Carter is no longer chief of staff, he now sits on the board of the Mayo Clinic." Dr. Graham interrupted.

"Well, who is the current chief of staff? " Ethan inquired, sure that an introduction to the new chief would be key to his getting a foot in the door. He would use Seattle General as a stepping stone to a more suitable more prestigious institution. He just needed to bide his time, knowing it was beneath him.

"It is Dr. Grace Grey, and unfortunately she does not meet directly with student candidates…"

"I'm sure if you were to explain the situation." Ethan interrupted.

"My apologies in advance Mr. Kavanaugh, that is simply not the way things are done here at Seattle General. Perhaps you can apply again next semester." Dr. Graham replied annoyed by the interruption but especially the entitlement, he had seen it enough times to know everything he needed to know about this Kavanaugh prick.

"Thank you for your time." Ethan responded dejected rising from his seat." He had no idea why his life had turned to shit suddenly, but he would find out.

..

…

….

Eamon Kavanaugh sent the call to voice mail, he would deal with whatever crisis du jour there was in Ethan's life another time. His attention was focused on his daughter in this moment. He could have never imagined that when his phone rang – over a week ago just what he and his daughter would be facing right now.

After Kate explained every painful detail of what happened between she and Ian Skinner, Eamon was convinced his daughter had acted in self-defense – but he understood that her cleanup and fleeing of the apartment was problematic. He sought legal counsel and Kate decided with legal advice and support from both he and Myles that she would turn herself in and face the consequences of her actions. It was the right thing to do.

"Are you okay."

"I would not say I am okay – resolved is more the word. This has to be done Dad, I cannot live like this anymore. I am so sorry Dad, I know this will be embarrassing for you and KM..."

"I love you Katie and that is all you need to concern yourself with. I will be here with you through this no matter what happens – I promise you that I will never leave your side. You are my priority." Eamon reassures her while holding her hand as their driver and security Miller weaves through the early Sunday morning quiet maze of downtown Seattle.

"Thank you for your faith in me. I don't know what I would do without you Dad."

"Well, you won't have to find out for a long time Katie girl." Eamon states.

As they pull up to Seattle PD headquarters, they see Myles exit his car having spotted them approaching. Myles had been a constant since that night at Kate's apartment. Though initially taken aback by Kate's confession, Myles had been confident that she was a victim of an attempted sexual assault and did not share the belief that she somehow 'got what was coming to her' as a result of her poor behavior towards her roommate and Christian Grey.

Myles had met Christian Grey at a charity event two years earlier and had found the CEO though socially guarded, professional and a generous dedicated benefactor to those causes. He thought charitably that if Kate had to be obsessed with anyone, he was not a bad choice, he thought Grey was a decent guy. Kate's cringe worthy story about her other _pursuits_ however made him think little of others in the billionaire's club like Dorsey. He would love to flatten that guy.

"Myles, I wasn't expecting to see you here." Kate stated shyly, her voice full with gratitude.

"No way would I have let you do this alone." He stated stepping forward, lifting her chin and planting a chased kiss on her lips.

"I am not going anywhere Kate. Good morning Eamon."

"Thanks for coming Myles, it means a lot to both of us." Eamon responded.

"Please do not make me cry. I need to keep my wits about me." Kate teased the two of them.

"You guys ready?" Lawrence Hooper asked as he approached the trio.

"As ready as I will ever be." Kate answered with measured confidence.

"Just remember, I am your attorney – allow me to do the talking and follow my instructions and you will do just fine."

"Thank you Mr. Hooper."

Kate looked at her father and Myles as she stood between them grasping both men's hands.

"Let's do this."

..

…

….

"Um, excuse me – Bill?"

"What is it Leila?" Bill had no use for the annoying little tramp he had been forced to add to his team by Grey's high brow piece of ass and that dyke who refused to take her on. He did not care how she felt about the way he treated her either. The only upside was that she was pleasant to look at, sexy even, too bad she spends her time cyber stalking Christian Grey. He thought to himself.

"I was reviewing some of the expenditure ledgers and…"

"What the fuck for!" He bellowed. What was this little bitch playing at he wondered.

"I…I, it is my job to reconcile…"

"It is your _job_ to complete assignments I direct for you, do not attempt to usurp my authority." He snapped.

"I apologize Bill, I wasn't – I mean I did not mean to overstep…"

"Then don't – have you completed the financial analysis for the Seattle Independent Publishing acquisition?"

"I have a few more items to complete for my analysis, that was how I ran across the…"

"Stick to your assigned tasks!" He yelled, causing Leila to shake.

"Okay, sorry." Leila stated as she stood to leave. She was sure Bill was hiding something and whatever it was is serious – but she needed help. The problem she faced however was that because of her supply cubicle faux pas, she could not take this to Ana half-cocked because it would quite possibly be seen as a feeble attempt at redemption or to be moved from the department – besides if she were going to accuse a long serving staffer like Bill Payne of impropriety or even an error if she was reading this situation incorrectly, she would need more proof of his wrongdoing and it was clear he was very adept at covering his tracks.

This is exactly what Bill was trying to avoid, but he has to find out without showing his hand just what the little bitch was able to discover nosing around where she did not belong. It did not matter, at this point because he had the goods on her – he knew she was obsessed with Grey and that knowledge would give him the leverage he needed to keep her quiet granting him the time he needed to plot his next move – Bali was lovely all year long he thought smugly to himself.

..

…

"Leila, I am leaving for the day, I have a dental appointment – I expect that analysis to be on my desk when I arrive tomorrow morning." Bill barked at Leila as he left for the day.

"Yes, sir."

..

…

"Hi. I know it has been a while since we have spoken. But I was wondering if you have some time to get a drink after work today, I have something I want to run by you."

"Sure Leila – is everything alright?"

"I, I am not sure – perhaps some fresh perspective is all that I need in this situation."

"Okay, how about Lori's at six?"

"Thank you. I will see you there." Leila hung up breathing a sigh of relief.

..

…

….

 **A/N: Thank you for reading and reviewing. I was purposeful in delaying this chapter because this is the last chapter for 2018, and I did not want a huge time lag in between chapters – In addition to a heavy workload/end of year madness – we have travel plans for the holiday. I wish you and yours a happy holiday along with joy and happiness in the coming year.**

 **The Pinterest page for this story is up: (slash) TCNAC50SHDY**


	9. Author's Note

Sorry for the delay in updating –

I have had some health issues in the recent past as those who have read my previous stories may be aware. I can report that I remain cancer free, but I am dealing with a treatment related issue that requires surgery. I will be having that surgery on Wednesday.

I have been focused on getting better and I am sorry that I have let this story lag without explanation as a result. Please know that I **WILL** finish It All Adds Up – I really love this story and I appreciate the PMs and reviews I received from you the readers.

Please bear with me a little while longer. Thank you for reading and your patience.

-TC


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